How This SEC QB Would Potentially Fit with Cleveland Browns

With the 2025 NFL Draft slowly approaching, the discussions around who could be the Cleveland Browns' future quarterback are quickly ramping up.
With the Browns having the No. 2 pick in this year's draft, general manager Andrew Berry may have his choice of Miami's Cam Ward or Colorado's Sheduer Sanders, depending on what the Tennessee Titans decided to do with the No. 1 pick. However, Berry could trade back in the first round and look at a player like Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart in the later rounds.
Dart began his collegiate career with USC, where he spent one season with the Trojans. He would eventually transfer to the Ole Miss Rebels following his freshman year and thrived under head coach Lane Kiffin. In his final collegiate season, Dart finished with the third most passing yards amongst all FBS quarterbacks with 4,279 yards.
The veteran gunslinger excelled in Kiffin's RPO-heavy offense that also features a downfield element, thanks to his adequate arm strength.
A BEAUTY of a throw from Jaxson Dart for the TD 🤩 pic.twitter.com/z14x73dNLd
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) January 3, 2025
How Dart Could Fit
When looking at how Dart could work with head coach Kevin Stefanski, he has an intriguing skillset that can be useful in Cleveland's offense.
His arm strength, along with being able to push the ball downfield makes him a potential QB for Stefanski's play-action, bootleg offense. One reason why former Browns' quarterback Joe Flacco found success in Cleveland was due to his ability to push the ball downfield. In addition to his arm strength, Dart had multiple throws this season that displayed his ball placement ability, which also played a huge factor in Flacco's successful run in Cleveland.
This connection ⚡️@JaxsonDart ➡️ @jordantwatkins pic.twitter.com/KuFZEmZH4p
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) January 3, 2025
But Dart is far from being like the former Super Bowl XLVII MVP winner.
The biggest knock that NFL teams will likely have on the highly-productive college quarterback is his lack of experience in a pro-style offense. This was the case for the Rebels' pervious quarterback, Matt Corral, who eventually fell to the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. While Corral suffered an injury in the team's bowl game that season, many draft analysts projected the young quarterback to fall in the draft before sustaining the injury.
Kiffin's RPO-based system is great for a college QB, but it clearly does not translate at the next level.
The Verdict
If Berry does not feel comfortable with taking a quarterback early in this year's draft, Dart could be a possible option for Cleveland on day two or three. However, the Browns must sign a veteran to start in 2025, which would improve the teams chances of being competitive next season while also giving Dart time to develop.