Cleveland Radio Host Claims Steelers Are Intrigued by Fast-Rising QB
Cleveland radio host Tony Rizzo said he heard rumblings at the NFL Combine that the Pittsburgh Steelers are very intrigued by Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, even claiming that they’re trying to hide their interest.
“I’m hearing the fastest-rising player, not only quarterback, in this whole process of underwear Olympics is Jaxson Dart,” Rizzo said. “Guess who likes Jaxson Dart, Chris? “That’s exactly right. And they are doing everything they can to not let that out of the bag. Don’t be surprised if the Steelers keep Justin Fields and draft Jaxson Dart.”
Dart is the consensus No. 38 overall player on the NFL Mock Draft Database big board, so picking the Ole Miss signal caller at No. 21 would be a pretty big reach. However, after an impressive showing at the NFL Combine, the hype for Dart is starting to pick up steam. ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit thinks Dart is the third-best quarterback prospect in this year’s class.
“I would probably give Jaxson Dart the nod,” Herbstreit said on the Pat McAfee Show. “You know, he started his career at USC before he transferred over to Ole Miss. I think he’s got a presence. He’s got an offense that I think — that’s the thing that I really want to see with him, is the ability to be able to show what he can do when it comes to not just throwing the ball around, but being able to go to that next level with how sophisticated these NFL offenses are, being able to read coverage, being able to get the ball out whether you’re under center or whether you’re in gun.”
Field Yates of ESPN had the Steelers selecting Dart 21st overall in his mock draft prior to the Combine, which raised some eyebrows.
With the Steelers stuck in quarterback purgatory, taking a swing at Dart might not be as far-fetched as previously believed. At the very least, it’s something to keep an eye on as the pre-draft process continues.
“The Steelers’ pedestrian offense has held them back from playoff success in recent seasons, and Dart had a prolific college career,” Yates wrote. “Dart also took advantage of Senior Bowl week with a strong showing in front of Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin, who was on the field at each practice.
“This projection represents a big rise up the board from where Dart currently ranks outside my top 32, but quarterbacks always have a chance to climb given positional value. Keep an eye on Dart here as we get closer to April.”