Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart has a fair number of detractors heading into the 2025 NFL Draft. Fans and certain draft analysts feel his processing ability and college offense won’t translate to the NFL.
However, one former NFL quarterback turned ESPN analyst is high on Dart and recently compared him to two current starters.
Can Jaxson Dart Live up to These Comparisons?
Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders are widely considered QB1 and QB2 in this year’s class. Ward is the heavy favorite to be the first overall pick, but Sanders’ stock has recently been falling.
Dart is next on the list, but has been doubted because of Lane Kiffin’s offense. Pundits feel he’s a one-read quarterback who can’t diagnose and adjust to defenses. ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky isn’t buying that narrative and has recently been praising Dart.
He steadily improved in his three years at Ole Miss, raising his completion percentage, passing yards, and touchdowns each season. In 2024, Dart threw for 4,279 yards and 29 touchdowns while completing 69.3% of his passes.
The former quarterback tweeted a video breaking down several of Dart’s throws from last season. He noted how well the Ole Miss product used his eyes early in the play to understand what coverage he was getting.
Dart has the physical upside to be an NFL starter. Orlovsky agrees and recently went on the “Ross Tucker Podcast” to discuss the future rookie. He handed out two bold player comparisons for Dart, and the second one is shocking.
“He was the guy for me this year that was a little bit similar to Bo Nix last year…there’s a LOT of Jalen Hurts in his game…”@danorlovsky7 breaks down Jaxson Dart: pic.twitter.com/S23BooNN2U
— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod)
Orlovsky said, “He was the guy for me this year that was a little bit similar to Bo Nix last year. I remember last year watching Bo Nix’s tape and actually sending a text to Field Yates, and I said, ‘Dude, Bo Nix’s tape is a lot better than I anticipated.’ I was like, ‘He’d be perfect for Denver.’
“And then this year, that’s kind of how I feel about Dart. I went into it with, I guess, average expectations, and I watch his tape, and I go, ‘I really like his tape.’ There’s a lot of Jalen Hurts in his game for me.”
Dart is expected to be picked by the Cleveland Browns at the top of the second round in PFSN’s latest mock draft. Nix was the 12th-overall pick in last year’s draft and led the Denver Broncos to their first playoff appearance in eight years. Hurts was a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and just won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles.
If Dart ends up like one of those two, then he’ll be more successful than many feel he will be. It remains to be seen if a team takes a first-round swing on Dart, but he’ll compete for the starting role wherever he ends up.
