The 2025 NFL Draft isn’t shaping up to be one of the stronger quarterback classes. Cam Ward is widely seen as the top QB in the group, but others, including Shedeur Sanders and Jaxson Dart, are bringing up plenty of questions.
NFL analyst Colin Cowherd recently described Dart as a bust, comparing him to Zach Wilson – the second overall pick of the New York Jets in the 2021 NFL Draft who’s had more interceptions than touchdowns in his pro career.
NFL Analyst Believes Jaxson Dart Is ‘Zach Wilson All Over Again’
Dart is a polarizing quarterback prospect. While he’s projected by some to go in the first round, certain scouts question whether his ceiling is high enough to truly elevate a team with his talent.
While Cowherd acknowledged Dart’s impressive 2024 season, he felt the QB failed to step up in big games.
“Jaxson Dart, folks, I see Zach Wilson with the Jets,” Cowherd recently said on his show titled ‘The Herd.’ “His best games were against Duke, Georgia Southern, and Furman. It’s Zach Wilson.
“He’s impressive, (a) good-looking kid, (and) confident under Lane Kiffin’s system,” Cowherd added. “But in big games, (he) wasn’t consistently accurate, wasn’t great with pressure. Also, Ole Miss has big-time talent.
“This feels like Zach Wilson, where he’s gonna blow you away with his confidence. He’s got a little bit of an arm, but he was inaccurate in big games. I don’t think he sees the field particularly well. I don’t think he’s an anticipation thrower, whereas I think Shedeur Sanders is.”
Cowherd rated Sanders higher than Dart. He even rated Kyle McCord of Syracuse higher than Dart, who he insists would be a replica of Wilson. Whether Cowherd’s analysis proves to be right remains to be seen, but the QB is coming off an impressive season with the Rebels, posting career highs in each significant category, including completion percentage, yards, touchdowns, and QBR, while only accounting for five interceptions.
Over his four years in college, Dart appeared in 45 games — starting 41 of them. He struggled at USC in 2021 before bouncing back at Ole Miss over the following three seasons. The 21-year-old displayed steady improvement each year by cutting down on turnovers and increasing his production on the field.
Dart, however, is far from being the perfect prospect. He needs to improve his deep-ball accuracy and arm strength and refine his mechanics, marrying his eyes, hips, and feet. PFSN’s Reese Decker echoed some of the Cowherd’s worries in his scouting report on Dart, arguing he hadn’t shown the “mental processing, decision-making, and communication required of a quarterback in an NFL offense.”
Nonetheless, Dart’s stock remains high for now. In PFSN’s latest seven-round mock draft, the New York Giants are projected to pick him 27th overall.