McShay: 'Don't Be Surprised' if Jaxson Dart to Jets 'Builds Some Steam' Ahead of Draft

The idea of Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart being a top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL draft may be gaining some momentum.

In a post Thursday on X, NFL draft expert Todd McShay wrote that the possibility of the New York Jets taking Dart seventh overall "should not be ignored."

McShay added, "Just don't be surprised if that builds some steam in the coming weeks."

For much of the pre-draft process, Miami's Cam Ward and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders have been widely considered the top quarterbacks in the class. Even if the Jets take Dart, that could still hold true with two of the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns and New York Giants taking Ward and Sanders in the top three.

The 21-year-old Dart enters the draft with a ton of starting experience, as he started 41 of the 45 games he played in at USC and Ole Miss, posting a 28-13 record.

He truly broke out in 2023 by completing 65.1 percent of his passes for 3,364 yards, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions, while also rushing for 389 yards and eight scores.

Dart was even better as a senior in 2024, completing a career-best 69.3 percent of his passing attempts for 4,279 yards, 29 touchdowns and six picks to go along with 495 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

With neither Ward nor Sanders taking part in on-field workouts at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, Dart took center stage, and he was hugely impressive in the throwing portion.

Former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum later said on ESPN's SportsCenter (h/t SI.com's John Macon Gillespie) that Dart was "clearly the best quarterback on the field" at the combine and worthy of a first-round pick.

While it is difficult to say if it truly means anything with regard to the Jets' interest in Dart, Tannenbaum assisted the Jets in their general manager search, which ended with the hiring of Darren Mougey in January.

The Jets have the longest active playoff drought in the NFL, having last reached the postseason in 2010.

Quarterback play has played a significant role in the franchise's struggles, especially in recent years.

The Jets selected Zach Wilson second overall in the 2021 NFL draft and gave him three years to prove his worth as a starter, but he went just 12-21, while throwing 23 touchdowns compared to 25 interceptions.

Although the passing numbers got better last season with 41-year-old future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers at the controls, the Jets still managed only five wins.

The Jets released Rodgers and signed Justin Fields in free agency, although New York may still be in search of its long-term answer at quarterback.

In its latest mock draft, the BR NFL Scouting Department had the Jets taking Missouri offensive tackle Armand Membou at No. 7 overall, and it did not project Dart to get selected in the first round.

However, given that it isn't uncommon for some quarterbacks to rise from Day 2 prospects to first-round picks late in the process, the thought of Dart landing with a quarterback-needy team like the Jets in the first round may not be that unlikely.