Jaxson Dart Drawing Comparisons to Former Steelers QB

Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart is widely expected to go in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are among the teams who have routinely been connected to him.

Considering an AFC college scouting director described him as a "less-athletic version of Kenny Pickett" to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, however, the Steelers may want to avoid making that mistake for the second time.

"He's a good, scrappy player," they said. "Tough, throws it well enough, doesn't have a major hole to his game. There's just no elite trait."

From a physical standpoint, Dart was also likened to Baker Mayfield with less arm strength by a coach Breer spoke to who was in attendance at his Pro Day last week.

The 21-year-old led the Rebels to a 10-3 record last season while throwing for 4,279 yards on a 69.3 completion percentage, both of which led the SEC, in addition to posting 29 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Dart, who helped raise his stock after participating in the Senior Bowl as well as throwing drills at the NFL Combine, is viewed as a promising prospect due to his athleticism and measurables while producing at a high level in college.

Questions have been posed about his downfield accuracy and the fact that he played in an Ole Miss offense that may have inadequately prepared him for the next level, but in a weak quarterback class, some of those shortcomings are more easily overlooked.

Pickett's situation was similar entering the 2022 draft, as he gained plenty of steam after leading the University of Pittsburgh to an ACC Championship and finishing third in Heisman Trophy voting while throwing for 4,319 yards, 42 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Though there were certainly some red flags in his profile, he was the first signal caller off the board after the Steelers selected him in the first round with the No. 20 overall pick.

Playing under offensive coordinator Matt Canada did Pickett no favors, but it quickly became apparent that he wasn't the proper successor to Ben Roethlisberger.

In two seasons with the organization, Pickett logged 4,474 yards, 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in March 2024, where he won a Super Bowl as Jalen Hurts' backup this past year, before getting dealt to the Cleveland Browns this offseason.

Pickett is not a one-to-one comparison for Dart, though the former still serves as a cautionary tale for the Steelers if they were to seriously consider taking the latter.

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