Although they’ve made the playoffs in four of the last five seasons, it feels like the Pittsburgh Steelers are stuck. They haven’t won a playoff game since 2016, a fact many fans are aware of. Part of their issue is that they don’t have a long-term answer at quarterback. However, that could change with the 2025 NFL Draft in April. Maybe the Steelers could find their next franchise quarterback. Former NFL general manager Mike Mayock believes Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart could give them a boost like Bo Nix did with the Broncos last year.
“I think that Pittsburgh could look at a Jaxson Dart and say, ‘With what he does well, and we marry him to a run game and a defense, and we might have a situation that’s similar to what we had in Denver last year,'” Mayock said Monday on The Rich Eisen Show. “This is a talented kid. He can spin it.”
Quarterback is not a strength of the 2025 draft class. Even the top prospects have several flaws. However, there are things to like about Dart. He’s a tough player with a good arm. Dart seems to be in the tier right below the top quarterback prospects. If the Steelers want to take a shot on a signal caller in the first round, Dart is a real possibility.
Mayock’s comparison is one that would likely please fans, too. Last year, the Broncos selected Nix with the 12th pick in the first round. He started the whole season, leading them to a 10-7 record and playoff berth. Nix threw for over 3,700 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. For a rookie quarterback, that’s a pretty good season.
If the Steelers got that kind of production out of Dart, the future would be bright. While going 10-7 and losing in the first round of the playoffs sounds like more of the same, it would be much different with a rookie starting under center. It would probably feel like the Steelers finally have a clearer direction.
However, recent reports seem to indicate the Steelers aren’t targeting a quarterback in the first round. They seem more likely to bring back Justin Fields or Russell Wilson. Having a rookie lead them to the playoffs would be nice, but there’s no guarantee they’ll get that kind of production.
While Dart doesn’t seem like a possibility for Pittsburgh right now, things could change. The Steelers have several other needs besides quarterback, though. They might want to improve the rest of their roster first. Maybe that will put them in a better position to draft a quarterback on Day 1 next year.
