The 2025 NFL Draft is filled with ready-now players and others who need more time to develop. Surefire, can’t-miss prospects often fail to pan out, while unheralded names rise and become the future stars of the league.
The NFL Draft is a gamble at the highest level. Some teams are fine staying patient, while others push all their chips to the center of the table — ready to force the action.
Think back to 1985, when the San Francisco 49ers traded up for a small-school wide receiver out of Mississippi Valley State named Jerry Rice. That move helped build a dynasty. Fast forward to 2012, when Washington gave up a massive haul of picks to draft Robert Griffin III. One gamble ended in championships, the other in a career derailed by injury.
The NFL Draft is a fun time for fans. Playing it safe might be good for job security, but bold moves are the ones people remember.
New Orleans Goes Off Script, Picks Jaxson Dart Instead of Shedeur Sanders at No. 9
NFL mock drafts are fun, but bold predictions spark the most debate. PFSN’s Reese Decker recently wrote a bold draft predictions article for all 32 NFL teams, and one of the head-turners was the Saints passing on Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders at No. 9 and instead taking Jaxson Dart from Ole Miss.
“While many rank Sanders ahead of Jaxson Dart, New Orleans may prefer the Ole Miss star,” Decker writes. “Dart draws comparisons to Jalen Hurts thanks to his strong lower body, toughness, and leadership. With former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore now running the offense, Dart could be a perfect fit for the same system that helped Hurts lead Philly to a Super Bowl.”
If the Saints select Dart, it wouldn’t quite mirror the 49ers’ historic move for Rice, but it would still raise eyebrows.
Sanders brings more hype and fanfare, but Dart’s college numbers speak for themselves. He threw for 11,970 yards and 81 touchdowns through his collegiate career. As a senior at Ole Miss, he completed 69.3% of his passes, totaled 4,279 yards, 29 touchdowns, and just six interceptions.
It’s clear that the Saints’ passing attack needs help. New Orleans’ current QB depth chart includes veteran Derek Carr, with Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener behind him. Carr’s status for 2025, though, is uncertain at the moment after reports emerged that he’s dealing with a shoulder injury.
While Decker boldly predicts that the Saints will take Dart over Sanders, PFSN’s latest mock draft has them taking the latter at No. 9. Dart, meanwhile, lands in Cleveland after the Browns move up to No. 30 to take him in the same mock.