The thought of just two first-round quarterbacks being selected is quickly being debunked as one player continues to make a name for himself. After an exhilarating end to his collegiate career and an enticing few months at the Senior Bowl, combine, and now pro day, Jaxson Dart appears ready for the next step.
Whether the 4,000-yard passer surpasses the likes of Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders remains to be seen. Regardless, he continues to draw mass attention from several NFL teams.
New Orleans Saints the Most Recent Addition to Jaxson Dart Sweepstakes
New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore made a personal appearance at Jaxson Dart’s pro day, signaling some level of interest in the QB prospect.
💥💥 The 3.31 MMQB 💥💥
🏈 The Lead: How the @BuffaloBills engineered their escape from cap jail. https://t.co/Vbp8emgRXw
🏈 Takeaways: 18 games, @Giants' QBs, Jaxson Dart, Abdul Carter, Stefon Diggs, MORE! https://t.co/qYvn5tRMe8 pic.twitter.com/bYnJbq6NIm
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 31, 2025
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated touched on what it could mean not only for Dart, but for the current QB situation in New Orleans.
“We’d written over the past couple of weeks how the situation between the New Orleans Saints and Derek Carr was worth keeping an eye on—then how the team maxing out his restructure (taking his base salary to the minimum and converting the difference into a signing bonus) probably dashed any chance of a trade,” wrote Breer.
“What it didn’t dash, though, was the idea New Orleans could draft a quarterback. And along those lines, that Saints coach Kellen Moore was personally at Dart’s pro day isn’t insignificant.”
With Dart now drawing attention from teams higher up in the draft, could the teams that initially wanted him miss their shot?
Is There a Limit to Dart’s Draft Position Potential?
Using PFSN’s 2025 NFL Mock Draft Simulator, Dart surprisingly falls out of the first round. Instead of Dart, the Saints are projected to select defensive tackle Mason Graham at No. 9 overall.
Brentley Weissman of PFSN also believes Dart will slide past Day 1. For Weissman, Dart’s ideal landing spot comes early in Round 2 at No. 37 overall.
“The Jaxson Dart hype is strong, and a first-round selection doesn’t seem likely. However, at this point in the second round, Dart is worth the flier. The Raiders already have Smith in the fold, but adding a young quarterback to compete and develop is never a bad idea.”
Dart may be the most difficult player to project in this year’s draft. The question NFL teams will have to answer is: Has Dart’s talent always been there, or is the late-season surge just a bunch of smoke?