When it comes to the 2025 NFL Draft, quarterback evaluations are heating up. There are three names at the top, and if we are being honest, most people only want to talk about two. Only one stands out from the pack, not because of his last name, hype, or headlines but because of the tape — Jaxson Dart is the best quarterback in this draft, and if you’re not on board yet, it’s time to join the movement.
Jaxson Dart’s Stats and Measurements
- Height/Weight: 6’2” and 215 pounds
- College: Ole Miss
- Passing Yards: 11,970
- Passing Touchdowns: 81
- Interceptions: 27
- Rushing Yards: 1,541
- Rushing Touchdowns: 14
Dart’s numbers are gaudy. But stats only tell half the story. When you peel back the layers, you find a quarterback ready to make an immediate NFL impact. Here’s why:
Dart’s Strengths on Tape
Deep and Intermediate Dominance
Dart is a confident thrower of the football. He’s not just throwing check-downs and padding his stat sheet; he’s airing it out with precision and confidence. He leads the entire class in target depth (11.9 yards per attempt) and posts a ridiculous 22% rate of throws traveling 20+ air yards. That’s not just gunslinging — it’s surgical. And the results?
How about No. 1 in on-target rate for throws of 10+ yards (71%)? That’s where the NFL lives: tight-window intermediate throws, deep shots off play-action, and lasers outside the numbers. Dart’s doing it better than anyone in this draft. He’s not just throwing it far — he’s throwing it where it needs to be, with touch, placement, and anticipation.
Plays on Time (aka the Anti-Caleb Williams)
Let’s clarify: Caleb Williams is a generational talent in his own right, but his freelancing style isn’t for everyone. Dart is the antithesis of chaos. He operates on time, within structure, and with an understanding of timing and rhythm. His dropbacks marry with his reads.
His throws come out on schedule. In an NFL world that punishes hesitation, Dart gets the ball out. He doesn’t need chaos to thrive; he controls the game from the pocket and becomes a creator when necessary.
Dual-Threat Ability
Some QBs are called “dual-threat” because they scramble for a couple of first downs a year. Dart? He has 1,541 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground. He’s a legitimate threat when he breaks the pocket.
He’s not just escaping but extending, creating, and punishing defenses for losing discipline. But more importantly, he uses his legs to buy time and let routes develop. When a QB can move like Dart and still deliver with touch and accuracy, it’s dangerous.
Battle-Tested in the SEC
Do you want a QB who’s faced real defenses? Dart’s been forged in the SEC. No other quarterback in this class has faced tougher competition week after week. Dart stood against NFL-caliber pass rushers, threw into NFL secondaries, and still had a 69.3% completion rate.
He improved each year of his college career, something you have to look to when evaluating a young player’s ability to translate at the next level. This isn’t 7-on-7. These aren’t cupcake defenses. Dart’s film is against the best the NCAA had to offer, and he passed the test again and again.
Toughness You Can’t Teach
Quarterback is a position of leadership, and leaders need toughness. Dart has it in spades. He’s taken shots and bounced up. He stands tall in the pocket and he’ll take a hit to deliver a dime. There’s a grit to his game that you don’t coach and you hope your guy has.
What Needs Work (Because Nobody’s Perfect)
- Relied on Play Action: Over 50% of his snaps involved play action. Some will knock him for this, but if you’re good at it, that’s a feature, not a bug.
- Decision-Making/Overconfidence: He can be a little too aggressive. Sometimes, that gunslinger mentality can get him into trouble.
- First-Read Focus: Occasionally locks onto his first read. NFL defensive coordinators will punish that until he sharpens it up.
- Footwork: At times inconsistent. His base gets wide, and he can lose accuracy. But these are coachable issues, not fatal flaws.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
- No. 1 in Target Depth (11.9)
- No. 1 in 20+ Air Yard Rate (22%)
- No. 1 in YPA vs. Blitz (11.8)
- No. 2 in Big-Time Throw Rate
Dart being the QB1 isn’t just box-score scouting. These are metrics that matter for projecting NFL success. Dart is the answer at quarterback in this class.
If you’re looking for a quarterback who can make every throw, lead an NFL offense, and punish defenses deep, it’s Dart. If you want a guy who plays on time but can extend plays with his legs? It’s Dart. If you want a quarterback who’s faced the best and gotten better every single year? Dart’s your man.
He is the best quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft. He’s not the flashiest name in the class — but come Sundays in the fall, he will be the one winning games. Get used to it. Dart is QB1.
Dart’s Potential Landing Spots
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks may have just landed Sam Darnold, but there are still plenty of questions about whether he can succeed away from Kevin O’Connell and Company. Bringing in Dart provides both the Seahawks and Dart with some time to adjust to the NFL game, and he lands himself on a team that has talked about increasing its use of play action in its new-look offense.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers would be a match made in heaven for Dart. Pairing him with George Pickens and DK Metcalf would give him playmakers to match his gunslinger mentality. Arthur Smith’s run-heavy scheme would also take some of the weight of leading a team off of Dart’s shoulders in Year 1.
It doesn’t hurt that the Steelers don’t have any long-term answers at the position. For a city that misses Ben Roethlisberger’s toughness, giving them Dart could light a fire in Steeler Nation.