Odds: Steelers Are in Prime Position to Land Jaxson Dart
Mississippi quarterback Jaxson Dart was viewed as a borderline first-round pick for much of the pre-draft process, but he has recently risen up draft boards. He’s now a huge favorite to go in the first round.
His draft position is currently at over/under 24.5, according to Great Offshore Sportsbooks. Outside of a trade, the Pittsburgh Steelers at 21st overall and the Los Angeles Rams at No. 26 overall are the two most logical landing spots for the Mississippi signal-caller.
There’s a growing consensus in the national media, especially at the NFL Network, that Dart will land with the Steelers at No. 21.
The New Orleans Saints, another team that might be considering taking a quarterback in the NFL Draft, have gotten word that veteran quarterback Derek Carr isn’t at 100%. That should increase the odds of the Saints landing highly-touted Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Aaron Rodgers’ looming decision could play a big factor in whether the Steelers go quarterback in the first round. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network expects Rodgers to make an announcement before the NFL Draft.
“I would be very surprised if Rodgers waited until after the draft,” Rapoport said. “I would be very surprised if it wasn’t the Steelers if he plays. What I have not 100% been able to nail down is, is he absolutely, definitely playing?”
Either way, the Steelers need a long-term answer at quarterback. Dart could be an ideal fit. It seems like the Steelers will be in a good position to land either Dart or Sanders.
Dan Orlovsky of ESPN thinks Dart is a top 10 pick.
“I’m a Jaxson Dart guy and I don’t think that he makes it out of the top ten.” Orlovsky said on the Pat McAfee Show last Wednesday. “He sees it well, and he can throw it.”
The Steelers are among the team’s most-interested in drafting Dart, according to a report by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network last Friday.
Appearing on an episode of The Insiders on Friday, Rapoport said that Dart, who took a visit to the Steelers’ UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on Friday, was taking his final pre-draft visit when he was in Pittsburgh.
“The Steelers one is interesting. He’s obviously very talented. If he goes middle-to-back of the first round, and he goes to a team that may or may not soon have Aaron Rogers, that’s not a long-term answer. They would love a long-term answer. Jaxson Dart has been the guy,” Rapoport said on the Pat McAfee Show.
“If you look at the back half of the draft, there’s not a ton of teams, there’s some, that need a quarterback as their franchise guy. The Steelers are one. That would be one that makes some sense to me if that’s someone they view they can take there.”
Dart is currently rates as the No. 30 overall player on the NFL Mock Draft Database consensus big board. That would make him a big reach for the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants in the first round or the Saints at No. 9, but he would start to be reasonable for the Steelers at No. 21 or, more likely, in a trade-back scenario.
Alan Saunders contributed reporting for this story.