OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI - SEPTEMBER 21: Jaxson Dart #2 of the Mississippi Rebels warms up before the game against the Georgia Southern Eagles at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on September 21, 2024 in Oxford, Mississippi. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)

Jaxson Dart Off to a Quick Start in 2024

October 21, 2024 | Rajvir Bal | Articles

Reading Time: 3 minutes

First Round Mock NFL Draft Analyst Rajvir Bal is fired up about Ole Miss quarterback (QB) Jaxson Dart!

OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI – SEPTEMBER 28: Jaxson Dart #2 of the Mississippi Rebels warms up before the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on September 28, 2024 in Oxford, Mississippi. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)

The 2024 NFL Draft has an abundance of QBs projected to go on days one or two of the draft, and as an NFL talent evaluator, it’s my job to sort through which prospects are worthy of high rankings.

Jaxson Dart out of Ole Miss is one of those prospects.

As I flipped on the game film, I progressively found myself becoming more and more enveloped within the Jaxson Dart fandom. Today, I will make the case for the Rebels’ QB, who I believe will one day be leading an NFL team deep into the playoffs.

If you can’t tell, I’m excited about what I’ve seen from him so far this season.

Background

Dart committed and played his freshman season at USC. He later transferred to Ole Miss and is currently in his third season there (ESPN). He has made the dean’s list as well as academic honor roll twice in the fall of 2022 and the Spring of 2023 (olemisssports.com).

Here’s a look at his production:

2023:

233/358 (65.1%)

3,364 yards

23 touchdowns

Five interceptions

2024 (Seven Games):

151/215 (70.6%)

2,384 yards

14 touchdowns

Three interceptions

Dart measures within the 33rd percentile for height and 61st percentile for weight in the QB position (nfldraftbuzz.com)

#2 Jaxson Dart 6-foot-2, 225 pounds
Rajvir Bal’s 2025 NFL Draft Grade: Early First-Round (I would select him)
Projected by 8.1% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of October 21, 2024 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2024 game film reviewed: Furman, LSU, Wake Forest, and Kentucky (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

The Good

His throwing motion and release is smooth as butter, and is one of the best I’ve seen in college football. This prospect is TOUGH AS NAILS. He’s an extremely fiery competitor. When he got knocked down, he came up swinging. This is a trait that’s invaluable in a QB and one that can’t be measured in statistics. When flipping on quarterback game film, I always ask ‘How does this prospect respond to adversity?’ He punches twice as hard the next play. Additionally, Dart looked surprisingly pro-ready compared to how he played last year. He was going through reads, showing strong footwork, and putting the right amount of velocity on his throws. He looked a lot less erratic this year. This is backed by his improved completion percentage. He was near flawless when Ole Miss played Furman. Dart is good outside of the numbers and is skilled at working the sidelines.

The Bad

Despite looking more poised than last year, Dart still had some apparent gunslinging issues on field. Although largely improved, there was still some sporadic elements of his accuracy. He seemed to hold onto the ball just a bit too long on some plays, although I do not think that’s a chief concern. Across four games, I spotted seven places where a defensive lineman was able to swat his passes down. When pressure comes, he seems to return to his old gunslinging ways and is too easily phased.

NFL Crystal Ball

Las Vegas Raiders
New York Giants
Cleveland Browns

NFL Comp: Baker Mayfield (Bucs QB).

Final Thoughts (For Now)

Simply put, Dart was born to play QB. He’s about as natural as it gets.

Dart receives such a high grade from me because I believe he will truly be franchise changing. As of today, he is my QB1 for 2025.

To any NFL exec who reads this, take a chance on Dart. You won’t regret it.

Rajvir Bal is a high school student from the Virginia area. He grew up a rabid Washington Redskins fan, attending more than 30 games, and has enjoyed the team’s high points and low points throughout his life. He plays varsity football and basketball. Rajvir has taken an interest in the NFL Draft since middle school when his team picked Montez Sweat and Dwayne Haskins in the first round. His favorite NFL player ever flips between Rob Gronkowski and Brett Favre, and his favorite athlete is LeBron James. He has been writing his own scouting reports since 2020, and is excited for the opportunities FirstRoundMock provides.