For the Cleveland Browns to have a successful offseason in its entirety, this is a franchise that must come away with a starting-caliber quarterback in either free agency or the 2025 NFL Draft; if not both.
Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart is widely viewed as the third-best prospect in his class behind Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, with the rare contrarians even putting him in their top two.
His collegiate production is something that cannot be argued with. That's for sure. But, digging a little deeper, one can see why he's such a polarizing prospect for scouts and experts. It's hard to figure out exactly who he'll be at the NFL level, and much of that will depend on the player himself.
Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart 2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report
Notes
- Height: 6-2
- Weight: 223
- Set Ole Miss record for career passing yards (10,617)
- First-Team All-SEC in 2024
Positives
- Sees the field very well in the short and intermediate
- A true progression-based passer for offenses catering to that style; works through each progression efficiently when he needs to
- Highly accurate passer between the hashes
- Relatively big arm that can throw with both power and touch
- Not a dual-threat, but escapes pressure and throws on the run well
Dart is an example of a player who excelled in his system. If he were to go to a team that had a true guru like Sean McVay and the Rams or Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers, he'd be in the best position to succeed.
His throwing motion has the quickness and snappy, smooth release you look for at the pro level. He can make many types of throws, although he benefited from a good chunk of routes being well-schemed.
If stats are your thing, Dart represents a quarterback who thrived in limiting turnovers as he threw 52 touchdowns versus 11 interceptions over the past two seasons, which is impressive considering he did this in the SEC against some of the tougher defenses in the country.
Negatives
- Deeper zone coverages gave him trouble
- Not as accurate on deep balls, often making his receivers navigate from route
- Didn't run a pro-style offense, which will show when he's forced to make anticipatory throws
- Not going to run for a ton of yards
The improvement is going to have to come between the ears, for Dart. Reading more complex defenses and also making plays on his own, without relying on the offense to be schemed up completely for his strengths, is a need. Not every quarterback can have a McVay leading him, and for Dart to become a truly great NFL quarterback, he's going to have to take a lot more ownership.
Jaxson Dart NFL Player Comparison: Brock Purdy
Don't get too excited just yet. Brock Purdy is more an example of being closer to Dart's ceiling. The physical comparisons are there, but Dart's needing to be more decisive certainly rings true for people who have watched Purdy over the years.
Jaxson Dart 2025 NFL Draft Grade: Day 2
Will Dart end up going in the second or third round? To be frank, it's doubtful he lasts that long. It wouldn't be surprising to see him selected in the first round as teams get desperate. Don't let the fact that this year's quarterback class is average distract from the harsh reality some teams will be in. Dart going in the first round is entirely possible.