It’s officially draft season now that the 2024 NFL season has come to a conclusion following the Philadelphia Eagles’ thumping of the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
With draft season entering the picture for all 32 NFL teams now, positions of need will become much clearer in the days and weeks ahead. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, there’s one clear need that they must address. That would be the quarterback position.
Despite a major need there, the 2025 NFL Draft class isn’t all that good at the quarterback position, making things tricky for the Black and Gold. However, in the latest post-Super Bowl mock draft from The 33rd Team’s Kyle Crabbs, the Steelers take a big swing at the position in round one.
That big swing is on Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, who Crabbs has the Steelers taking at No. 21 overall.
“So what happens if the buzz around Jaxson Dart going in the first round is indeed true? Well, this feels like the spot. Every team from here on out is spoken for at quarterback, and this spot in the order is likely too high for a team picked top-10 to come back in and call dibs on Dart,” Crabbs writes regarding Dart to the Steelers in his mock draft. “Pittsburgh is caught in a bit of Quarterback Purgatory with their competitive seasons, leaving them with limited options and resources to solve the problem.
“If they like Dart, they should be operating with the understanding that they’ll have exactly ONE opportunity to get him. And it’s here at No. 21 overall.”
Dart measured in at 6017, 226 pounds at the 2025 Senior Bowl in Mobile. He also measured 9 1/2″ hands, 30 1/4″ arms and a wingspan of 72 3/4″. He has a good frame overall and put up some impressive stats during his time in Oxford with Ole Miss.
In three seasons with the Rebels, Dart threw for 10,617 yards and 72 touchdowns, throwing just 22 interceptions. He completed 65.7% of his passes under head coach Lane Kiffin, and added another 1,498 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns in his three seasons.
He earned first-team All-SEC in 2024 and was named the Gator Bowl MVP in his final game with Ole Miss.
In Dart’s 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, adding that there’s some Kenny Pickett vibes to Dart.
“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 of Dart 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.”
Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but it’s spot-on from Kozora. Dart has some flashy plays on tape and put up some jaw-dropping numbers at Ole Miss, but that was in an RPO-based scheme that ran hurry-up throughout much of games. While Dart was the 2020 National Gatorade Player of the Year coming out of high school, there’s not much special with Dart.
He’s a steady performer, one who could be a serviceable starter, but not exactly a guy you want to hitch your wagon to as a potential franchise guy, especially if that wagon is being drawn up in round one.
Outside of Crabb’s mock draft, Pro Football Focus’ Trevor Sikkema released his post-Super Bowl mock draft Monday morning, too, and paired the Steelers with Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron, another popular name for the Steelers.
“Barron was one of the top defensive backs in college football this past season. After playing safety in 2022, slot cornerback in 2023 and outside cornerback in 2024, he’ll be exactly what Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin wants in his secondary: a chess piece who fills one of the team’s top needs,” Sikkema writes regarding the selection of Barron for the Steelers in his mock draft.
Barron is a player that I previously mocked to the Steelers in my first version of a seven-round mock draft. Though many don’t see the Steelers selecting an older defensive back in Barron (23 as a rookie), he’s a versatile chess piece that the Steelers could line up on the boundary, in the slot, in the box and even at deep safety.
He can do it all and would help fill a major need in the secondary for the Steelers.
Here’s what Steelers Depot’s Jonathan Heitritter had to say about Barron in his scouting report for the site.
“Jahdae Barron is an experienced, talented defensive back who has worn a lot of hats in college, showing that he can play multiple spots in the secondary. In the pros, his best fit is likely at slot corner where he can use his blend of aggressiveness as a tackler, along with his ball skills and instincts to make plays in coverage while also making an impact close to the line of scrimmage,” Heitritter writes of Barron. “Hopefully he continues to work on his tackling mechanics and doesn’t allow his eyes to get him into trouble when covering some of the shiftier receivers in football.”
Barron gives off some Brian Branch vibes on tape with his versatility and physicality. He would be a welcome addition to the Steelers’ secondary, which has had major issues in the slot in recent years.
