By Mark Pszonak
It has long been assumed by most people that Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders would be the top two quarterbacks selected during this spring’s NFL Draft. However, a report this weekend claims that some NFL teams have Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart rated higher:
Jaxson Dart is reportedly “ranked ahead” of Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward on a few NFL scouts’ boards.
Some NFL scouts reportedly believe Dart could make a “Jayden Daniels type rise” by the time the draft rolls around.
Many NFL scouts reportedly believe Dart could end up being… pic.twitter.com/LFgCjvkPsp
— Rookie Watch (@RookieWatxh) January 11, 2025
During a draft year when there isn’t a unanimous top quarterback, news like this shouldn’t be surprising. And in all likelihood, there will be other quarterbacks who move up the rankings during the next three months. But could Dart be drafted higher than Ward and Sanders?
Statistically, Dart has been impressive during his collegiate career. He has passed for 11,970 yards, 81 touchdowns and 27 interceptions while completing 65.2% of his passes. He is coming off his most successful season in 2024 with 4,279 yards, 29 touchdowns and six interceptions, while completing 69.3% of his passes.
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As a comparison, during the 2024 season, Sanders passed for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing 74.0% of his passes and Ward passed for 4,313 yards, 39 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 67.2% of his passes. Dart’s numbers are very comparable, especially considering he attempted 79 less passes than Ward and 56 less than Sanders.
What sets Dart apart from Ward and Sanders is his dual-threat ability. He has rushed for 1,541 yards and 14 touchdowns during his collegiate career, while Ward has rushed for 406 yards in three FBS season and Sanders has rushed for -127 yards in two seasons with Colorado. This is an ability that many NFL offensive coordinators thrive to find.
None of this is to way that Dart is the best quarterback prospect in 2025, it is just to say that an argument can easily be made that he deserves to be in the conversation. And that conversation will only get louder if he excels during the upcoming Senior Bowl practices and game, which are only a couple of weeks away. There will be an opportunity for several other quarterbacks (Jalen Milroe, Will Howard, Dillon Gabriel, Riley Leonard, Tyler Shough) to rise up the ranks, especially with Ward and Sanders not in attendance.
With the collegiate season ending in a week and the NFL season ending in less than a month, many eyes will soon turn to April’s Draft. And because of that prepare yourself for a continuous flow of player opinions and breakdowns. While some will be outlandish, the opinion of Dart being mentioned with Ward and Sanders is not one of them.
