2025 NFL Draft: QB or not QB? Jaxson Dart
Jaxson Dart – The Wild Card
Jaxson Dart came into college football with five-star hype and just enough chaos in his game to keep scouts coming back. Now, with the draft around the corner, the buzz is building again — because there’s always going to be a coach out there who watches the tape, ignores the mess, and convinces himself “I can fix that.”
And hey — maybe they can.
The tools are real. The kid’s got guts. He’s mobile, aggressive, and when he’s in rhythm, he looks like a future starter. One week he’s on point, the next he’s testing zone coverage like a full-blown game of 500.
You don’t draft Dart for safety. You draft him because you think your building can handle the ride. That there’s enough structure around him to clean up the noise and let the gamer shine through. But just know — if it goes wrong, it’s going to go loudly wrong.
Let’s take a look at where this ride could take him… and where it could skid off the rails.
New Orleans Saints – The Swing for the Fences
If the Saints take Dart, they’re not drafting a quarterback — they’re taking a shot of adrenaline and hoping it doesn’t kill them. Carr is the walking definition of “we’ll figure it out later,” and Dart brings the kind of chaos energy that could shake this whole thing up.
They could take him early… or wait, hope he slides, and trade back in for the swing. Either move screams belief in their own ability to coach him up — which, let’s be honest, is how a lot of these decisions get made.
The tools are legit. The upside is real. And with Kamara and Olave as training wheels, it’s at least a functional environment. It’s a gamble — but at least it wouldn’t be boring.
What Could Go Wrong?
He starts too early and treats every throw like it’s 3rd-and-12, trying to play hero before the play even develops. The inconsistency kicks in fast — and the city turns on him even faster. What started as a high-upside swing quickly becomes a cautionary tale, and Dart becomes the next “QB of the future” who peaked at the press conference.
Pittsburgh Steelers – The Grit Pick
If Jaxson Dart ends up in Pittsburgh, it’s because someone in that building watched his tape and saw a gamer — not a project. He plays with toughness, fire, and just enough chaos to make the idea feel dangerous in a good way. That’s a vibe the Steelers have leaned into before.
Right now, the QB room features Mason Rudolph and a blinking vacancy sign. Dart wouldn’t be walking into pressure — he’d be walking into opportunity. Pickens and Metcalf (yes, that’s real now) give him two explosive options, and Tomlin gives him structure, accountability, and just enough leash to grow without going full chaos goblin.
The defense is good enough to keep games close, and the coaching staff has shown they know how to develop players — even if they don’t always get flashy doing it. It’s not the sexiest landing spot, but for Dart, it might be the one with the cleanest path to mattering.
What Could Go Wrong?
He gets off to a rocky start, and suddenly the Terrible Towels turn into slingshots by Week 5. Dart plays just erratically enough to hand Tomlin his first losing season — and that’s how you end up as a trivia question. Meanwhile, the AFC North chews him up, and by Year 2 he’s got a podcast beard and a backup plan.
Los Angeles Rams – The Long Game
If Dart lands with the Rams, it’s the clearest “sit and learn” situation on the board. No pressure, no urgency — just vibes and Sean McVay whispering coverages in his ear for a year or two. Stafford's still in place, but everyone knows the end is coming. This would be a developmental swing with real upside baked in.
McVay runs one of the most QB-friendly systems in football — built to polish rough edges and elevate natural talent. Puka looks like a long-term WR1, and with Adams now in town, this offense suddenly feels a lot less transitional than people think. This isn’t a team stumbling into the future — it’s one planning for it.
And Dart? He’d land in a stable environment with one of the league’s best play-callers, a Super Bowl-winning mentor in Stafford, and real weapons waiting for him when it’s time.
It’s not a fireworks show right away. But if you’re betting on Dart’s long-term ceiling, this might be the landing spot with the highest roof.
What Could Go Wrong?
Dart masters the playbook, but forgets how to actually play football in the process. Then McVay peaces out for Amazon Prime, and suddenly Dart’s stuck in a full-blown rebuild. And by the time Stafford finally hands over the keys, Dart’s been on the bench so long they’re calling him “veteran presence” — and he still hasn’t started a game.
