As they have been for several offseasons, the Pittsburgh Steelers are still searching for their franchise quarterback. Unfortunately, they once again find themselves in an unfavorable position to find that player. Having the 21st pick in a draft which doesn’t have the most impressive quarterback class, combined with a lackluster free agent class puts the Steelers in a tough position. One of their best options could come later than the first round, in Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart.
There are a couple of quarterbacks who could go anywhere from the second to fourth round, and Dart is one of them. The Steelers are one of the more QB-needy teams in the league, so they’ve naturally been talked about as a potential destination for Dart. And Fields Yates had the Steelers taking Dart with their first-round pick in his first draft.
Longtime NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper doesn’t see Dart as a fit with Pittsburgh, though.
“Why would the Steelers take a quarterback when they have Justin Fields, who they want to lock in,” Kiper said Wednesday on ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike. “I believe, and I’m saying that ’cause I don’t know any information about it, I gotta believe you move forward with Justin Fields. You don’t draft a quarterback [Jaxson Dart] that needs a little time coming out of that Ole Miss offense. They have other needs.”
Kiper argues for Fields over Dart, or any other developmental QB in the class. He’s not the only person who thinks this way. Especially with conflicting reports regarding Russell Wilson’s chances of staying in Pittsburgh, running it back with someone like Fields, who went 4-2 as a starter in 2024, doesn’t seem like a bad idea.
His biggest criticism of Dart revolves around the offense the quarterback played in at Ole Miss. Lane Kiffin has done a good job running that offense, but it’s one that’s considered by many to be one of the easiest for quarterbacks. The Rebels focus on quick, one-read plays. Those make life easier for quarterbacks but can stunt their progression. That’s why Kiper mentions that Dart might need more time to adjust. Our own Alex Kozora wrote a draft profile on Dart.
However, Arthur Smith’s offense did focus on a similar premise when Fields was starting to begin the 2024 season. The Steelers didn’t ask Fields to do much, often just one- or two-read progressions. That can be a system Dart works into. Or they could lean toward Fields, who knows the offense better and was able to win some games in 2024.
