After Shedeur Sanders’ and Cam Ward’s shenanigans, it’s Jaxson Dart who makes the unbridled hype ahead of the draft day. The Ole Miss QB has long been teased by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Of course, the most anticipated belief was that they would eventually sign Aaron Rodgers. But retirement and a potential Vikings connection made things a bit dicey for Mike Tomlin. So, they started exploring and showed ample interest in the Rebels’ QB, Jaxson Dart. Ian Valentino predicts the Steelers will select Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart with the No. 21 pick. They, in fact, host the Mississippi product on a pre-draft visit this week. But take it slow, folks! Things can take a U-turn from here.
The Aaron Rodgers thing still hangs in the balance. If it resolves anytime soon, it might come off as a turning point for Dart. If Rodgers gives up on the Vikings, which he will eventually do, and accepts the Steelers’ offer, receivers like DK Metcalf and George Pickens might breathe a sigh of relief. It’s really a heck of a chance to get the ball from one of the best in the mix. But Tomlin might want some extra safety net for his crown jewel. In that case, he might not be interested in investing money in the QB room anymore.
“If the Aaron Rodgers thing gets done, which is kind of what everybody is expecting. That does get done. I think they try and get another player to help him on that side of the ball. So, I think, to me, if you’re looking at another weapon, whether that’s Mecca or you know, someone like that. We will see if McMillan is still there from Arizona,” analyst Daniel Jeremiah went low on the Darts’ chance with the Steelers if the 41-year-old ends up signing.
How does the Aaron Rodgers situation impact what the Steelers will do with the 21st overall pick?@heykayadams | @MoveTheSticks | @steelers pic.twitter.com/KHftafSnvz
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) April 7, 2025
No doubt that Dart has established himself as the third-best quarterback. His confidence, accuracy, and IQ speak louder than his number. But numbers can still be the needle movers. Dart mounted an impressive season for the Rebels, completing 276 of 398 passes for 4,279 yards, 29 touchdowns, six interceptions, and a 180.7 passing efficiency rating. He can be a great option as a backup for one or two years behind Rodgers, learning a lot about the Steelers offense. It will equally benefit the team, as well, as they will still need a long-term quarterback behind Rodgers.
Adam Schefter has already reported, “I’m hearing he (Aaron) might not want to play.” That would be a real risk for the Steelers to proceed with only two not-so-apt options, Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson, for the QB room. But it seems that’s the direction they’re moving in.
Insider rules out the Pittsburgh Steelers-Jaxson Dart hype train
The Steelers put a great amount of effort into Dart, making the fans believe that he has a real chance. But things can really go either way this time. All their interests might turn out hollow if the situation calls for it. Insider Mark Kaboly hinted at a potential heartbreak for all the Jaxson Dart and Steelers fans.
He said he sees nothing exciting about their interest in Dart. It’s not anything worth turning the head. Sure, they are evaluating Dart, but that doesn’t imply that they have really decided. Rather, he thinks, they won’t go for a Day 1 signal caller pick at all. They are just doing their due diligence.
“Don’t make much out of it. Because everything I heard the week before, that is, they’re not really interested in the quarterback in the first round,” Kaboly said. “However, you know, it depends on how the board breaks and if you find a value at 21, or even if you wanna move back or anything like that, you have to do your due diligence on a guy like that. Because I don’t know how much tape he really had.”
Dart’s film is great. Throughout the 2024 season, he carried Lane Kiffin’s offense on his back. However, the NFL Draft is a different beast. So many permutations and combinations. Even then, one thing is certain. Whichever teams lands Dart, they’re getting a real gem.
The post Jaxson Dart’s NFL Future Takes a Sudden Turn as Steelers’ Draft Plan Announced Amid Aaron Rodgers Conundrum appeared first on EssentiallySports.