An inevitable facet of NFL Draft season is the names that pick up steam in the time after the college football playoff ends. Player buzz shifts drastically as the opinions of NFL talent evaluators begin to seep into the public sphere. Some will see their draft stock rise rapidly. One of the early frontrunners to experience this phenomenon is Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.
The senior signal-caller has increased his passing yardage in each of the past three seasons and finished third in FBS passing yardage in 2024. Dart is a prospect who has gained a good bit of traction in the draft community after Ole Miss’ season ended. As such, it is important to evaluate what an early Jaxson Dart scouting report looks like at the present moment.
Overview, Film Analysis, and Early 2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report of Ole Miss Quarterback Jaxson Dart
Measurables
Height: 6′ 2″
Weight: 225 lbs
Jaxson Dart Player Background
Jaxson Dart was a dominant two-sport athlete when he graduated from Corner Canyon High School in Draper, Utah. He was named the Gatorade football player of the year in 2021 and would go on to commit to becoming the next quarterback at the University of Southern California. Dart would actually start games as a true freshman for the Trojans. During this initial stint, Dart saw success. The quarterback broke the record for passing yards in a USC debut, and all seemed to be trending up. That is until Lincoln Riley accepted an offer to become the head coach of the Trojans in 2022.
With Lincoln Riley came the eventual 2022 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, Caleb Williams. Foreseeing this outcome, Dart transferred to Ole Miss prior to the 2022 season, where has has been ever since. He would go on to consistently improve his yardage and touchdown numbers throughout his three years as the Rebels’ starter. The 2024 season ended for the Rebels just outside of the college football playoff. This move was debated by some, namely head coach, Lane Kiffin. Regardless, the move led to the end of Dart’s college football career in a 52-20 rout of the Duke Blue Devils. The game punctuated Dart’s college career and opened the door for the Jaxson Dart scouting reports to begin.
Strengths
When evaluating Dart’s game, it is abundantly clear that he is a tough football player. Ole Miss did not shy away from the option game, or designed runs for the signal caller. Draw in the red zone was a common play call for the Rebels, namely due to Dart’s proclivity to absorb, and fall forward on contact. As a runner, Dart also shows some effective lateral quickness. This allows him to pick up some decent yards over what appears to be expected.
As a passer, Dart showed some decent decisiveness in his 2023 tape. He was relatively successful in identifying when pressure was coming in games such as his Alabama showing. Dart is also pretty sophisticated in his ability to manipulate defenses. He showed a common tendency to look off safeties, and that was beneficial to him in Ole Miss’ battle with LSU in 2024. There was also a consistency in Dart’s tape, in terms of his ability to not just push the ball vertically, but also horizontally. This showed up big on deep outs, drags, and flat routes in 2024.
Weaknesses
Watching Jaxson Dart’s tape, it is unfortunately pretty clear where some of his weaknesses are. Many of these were exploited against Georgia in 2024. Dart took some hits early and struggled to step into throws for much of the rest of the game. This caused him to miss high on some throws, something that plagued him a bit throughout the season. Many of these hits he took because of another troubling pattern in his game, his pocket presence. Dart seemed to struggle with escaping from the pocket in 2024. There was also a troubling tendency to duck his head a bit when pressure came through. Often he was done minimal favors by his offensive line, which is important context for this flaw. Still, though it is something to be desired.
Dart’s arm strength also comes into question a bit when watching his game. A number of times against LSU in 2024, he came up short on deep balls. At one point, this led to an interception down near the red zone. Over the middle, there seems to be a tendency to overestimate his ability to push the ball into tight windows or fit it between safeties in a middle-of-the-field open look. These arm strength questions are exacerbated a bit by his long, looping delivery. At times, it also appears as though Dart is “placing” the football. This is in contrast to a more desirable “throwing” of the ball. The collection of weaknesses in Dart’s game is, unfortunately, rather clear on tape.
Potential Team Fits
NFL Projection
NFL general managers should feel most comfortable drafting Jaxson Dart with the expectation that he fills a backup role. There are simply too many flaws in his game at the moment to expect him to immediately perform at the NFL level. His toughness and game acumen are intangible assets that would make it difficult to ever count him out long-term. His history of success does provide hope for a future in which he remedies some of the weaknesses in his game, and becomes a fan favorite starter. For now, though those days seem to be a bit of a ways away.
Main Photo: [Nathan Ray Seebeck] – USA Today Sports
