Jaxson Dart NFL draft projection: 3 teams that should take a chance on Ole Miss QB

Jaxson Dart hurt his draft stock thanks to a late game collapse against Florida. That game itself didn’t tarnish his NFL reputation, but rather that game ending their playoff hopes did. Will Howard and Riley Leonard benefitted from the extra exposure. 

Dart didn’t exactly get that benefit, but has a chance to make an impact at the Senior Bowl. If he makes a good enough impression, he could find a way to be the steal of the draft at quarterback. 

Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward are the consensus top quarterbacks, but NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah has Dart as a top 50 prospect and the third best quarterback. So he could be a gem that lands in the right system to thrive. 

Here’s three teams that should take a chance on Dart with low risk and high reward if he develops. 

3) The Los Angeles Rams have to start thinking about the post-Matthew Stafford era and Jaxson Dart could be his replacement.

The Los Angeles Rams have to start really considering what they’re going to do with Matthew Stafford’s retirement (and possible trade talks) on the horizon. A safe answer is drafting Jaxson Dart as a mid-to-late round pick and developing him behind Stafford. 

Dart could be a player that, in the right system, could have a chance to grow without the pressure of starting right away. This quarterback class as a whole is one that shouldn’t feel the pressure to turn a team around year one. 

The good thing with Dart is he can be good. And he’s a less risky player. If he lands with Sean McVay, he could develop Dart in a way that could turn him into a surprise. If we’re being honest, Baker Mayfield’s rise to where he is now started with the Rams. 

The Rams have already shifted to building a younger roster. It worked with their defense. If Dart is available, Los Angeles has to consider drafting him. In a year or two, it could pay dividends. 

2) Brock Purdy has an injury problem that could open the door for Jaxson Dart to save the day. 

Brock Purdy’s biggest red flag is his availability. He’s missed games in every season since his rise from Mr. Irrelevant to starting in the Super Bowl. Because of that, not only is his value taking a hit, but it means his successor is always waiting. 

Dart could be the next Kyle Shanahan developed quarterback that rises to NFL glory. I’m convinced Shanahan could turn the clock back on Deshaun Watson at this point. Dart has way more upside to him. 

Which means if the San Francisco 49ers are looking to get an insurance player for an inevitable Purdy injury, they have to be looking at Dart. They can obviously get him cheap and keep him cheap as long as he’s a back up.

When he’s called upon, he can do enough to keep the offense afloat. He could even be a carbon copy of Purdy that could be good enough to take his place if Purdy is injured long term. 

It’s not a farfetched move. The 49ers need to find a good backup and Dart could be a great player to fill that role. Hopefully they never need him to be the new franchise starting quarterback. But with Shanahan, the odds are in his favor of becoming a staple NFL quarterback. 

1) The Cleveland Browns need a future quarterback and Jaxson Dart might just be their answer. 

This is a risky move. But if the Cleveland Browns seriously consider bringing in a quarterback like Kirk Cousins, Dart could serve as a great backup and long term solution. The problem with that is Cousins didn’t even make it a year in Atlanta. 

If the Browns feel obligated to turn to Dart before his first season is over, that could turn a positive draft selection into a very risky one. But Dart learning from Cousins, who’s probably transitioning to a mentor role with whatever time he has left in the NFL, could yield good results. 

The Browns don’t need to draft a rookie quarterback with the expectations of playing them year one. They need a long term solution, but they have to do things differently. Dart could be the start of the Browns finally getting it right with a quarterback in the draft. 

Drafting Dart would also help them address the quarterback position and take care of their more immediate needs with their earlier picks.