The 2025 NFL Draft class is widely viewed as being one of the worst at the quarterback position in several years. While Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward are both expected to be top-5 picks in April, recent NFL Draft rumors suggest they won’t be the only quarterbacks reached for in Round 1.
Even a year out from the 2025 NFL Draft, talent evaluators and scouts around the league panned the upcoming class. Most believed that the best quarterback prospect in 2025 would have ranked sixth among signal-callers taken in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Related: 2025 NFL Draft rumors reveal player Carolina Panthers want at No. 8 overall
Nothing that happened during the 2024 college football season changed that. While Sanders and Ward both played well, neither demonstrated the traits to be viewed as an elite prospect. NFL teams still expect them to be among the first five players picked in the 2025 NFL Draft, but few teams believe they are worthy of those selections. The same appears to be the case for another quarterback prospect.
Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post spoke to NFL executives following the Senior Bowl about the 2025 quarterback class. The consensus opinion is that while Ward and Sanders will both be top picks, Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart is also going to be a first-round selection.
Related: 2025 NFL Draft order right now, NFL Draft picks by team 2025
Dart, standing at 6-foot-2, offers some intriguing tools to work with. In addition to his prototypical NFL size, He’s a three-year starter in the SEC with a relatively high football IQ, adequate accuracy and above-average arm strength.
He performed relatively well at the Senior Bowl, especially in comparison to his competition. While he isn’t viewed as an NFL-ready starter, there are enough physical tools paired with his mental makeup to project him as a long-term starting quarterback. As for his NFL comparisons, they’ve ranged from Carson Wentz to Gardner Minshew, with the ceiling of him becoming a top-18 quarterback.
While that’s not necessarily worth a first-round pick in the eyes of many evaluators, desperation at the quarterback position will force a team to reach. Backing up the recent NFL Draft rumors regarding Dart, ESPN‘s Field Yates had the Pittsburgh Steelers selecting Dart with the 21st overall pick in his first mock draft.
Related: 2025 NFL mock draft
