Needing a quarterback in a major way, the Pittsburgh Steelers are doing their due diligence at the position, particularly in the 2025 NFL Draft class.
At the NFL’ Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, the Steelers have met with the likes of Texas’ Quinn Ewers, Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, and Minnesota’s Max Brosmer. Ewers and Dart were formal meetings, among the 45 total that the Steelers get at the Combine, while Brosmer was informal.
Dart is a name that has been tied to the Steelers throughout the pre-draft process, and he spoke with the Steelers and head coach Mike Tomlin at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., as well as offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Dart then met with the Steelers formally at the Combine, including with Tomlin and Smith, creating quite a bit of buzz for the SEC quarterback when it comes to a possible fit in the NFL Draft.
Yet the Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo, who appeared on 93.7 The Fan’s Joe Show with host Joe Starkey Friday morning, believes Dart is not a possibility for the Steelers in the first round at No. 21.
“Never say never, but second round if they have conviction on him. Listen, Andy Weidl picked Jalen Hurts. I think it’s number 52 or 54. If they’re in love with him, maybe I could see that,” Fittipaldo said of Dart and a possible fit with the Steelers. “But I just think first round, it’s gotta be a d-tackle or receiver, I think.
“That’s probably the direction it’s gonna go. And who knows. If Dart is really rising up draft boards the way teams take quarterbacks, he might go at the end of the first round if people think he’s that good.”
Based on a lot of the pre-draft buzz, there’s a good chance that Dart goes in the first round, especially in a weak quarterback class. Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders are seemingly locks to go in the first round in late April, but after them there isn’t clear-cut third quarterback who could work his way in.
Dart is generating hype, as is Louisville’s Tyler Shough and Ohio State’s Will Howard. With Dart, there’s a great deal of buzz, especially when it comes to the Steelers at No. 21 overall.
In three seasons with the Rebels, Dart threw for 10,617 yards and 72 touchdowns and just 22 interceptions. He completed 65.7% of his passes under head coach Lane Kiffin and added 1,498 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns in his three seasons.
He earned first-team All-SEC honors in 2024 and was named the Gator Bowl MVP following his final game with Ole Miss.
In a scouting report for Steelers Depot, Alex Kozora writes that Dart does a lot of things well, but doesn’t have anything he does great, which limits his ceiling.
“Overall, Dart does a lot of things well. And kudos to him for being tough and a gamer. He’ll earn the respect of a locker room in no time. But there aren’t a lot of things he does great. Not much that wows. Everything about his game is Bs, not As. And it’s hard to justify a ceiling of a starter/franchise guy on someone you like, not someone you love,” Kozora writes in the scouting report. “There are some Kenny Pickett vibes here; as dirty a word as that is in Pittsburgh, my official comp to Dart will be Gardner Minshew. A gritty spot starter best served as a No. 2.”
That’s not exactly comforting to read when it comes to a potential franchise quarterback, but there is clearly interest there from the Steelers. Dart’s got a good frame with a good arm and is tough as nails. But as Kozora pointed out, there’s nothing great about his game that should make him a first-round quarterback.
Fittipaldo believes the Steelers will draft a quarterback, but it’ll just be on Day 2 or Day 3.
“Well if you’re gonna do it in the first round, you better be convinced that he’s your guy for 10 or 12 years, and I don’t know if they could afford to make that mistake again three years after you made the same mistake with Kenny Pickett,” Fittipaldo said. “So, I mean, like I said, I never say never. If you don’t have a quarterback, you don’t have a chance.
“So yeah, if they really like the kid, I suppose it’s a possibility, but I just get the sense the guys they’re talking to are more Day 3, late Day 3 type of guys.”
