In all likelihood, the New York Jets will not be picking high enough in the NFL Draft to land one of the consensus top two quarterbacks on the board. However, there is some reason to believe they might be eyeing up one specific option later in the draft.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini noted that Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart is a name to watch in relation to the Jets. Cimini points out that Rick Spielman, who was just hired as a senior advisor for the Jets, raved about Dart after last month’s Senior Bowl. Spielman singled out Dart’s “arm talent” and said he would not be shocked if Dart snuck into the first round.
“I like Jaxson Dart a lot — better and better and better,” Spielman said on CBS Sports’ “With the First Pick” podcast. “It just looks like the position comes natural to him.”
Now that the Jets are letting Aaron Rodgers walk, quarterback becomes a rather glaring hole for them. While they might simply opt for a veteran for the 2025 season, they have no long-term solution at the position. If the front office feels the same way as Spielman does, Dart could be that player.
That is why the spotlight might fall on Dart. There has been some growing speculation that some team might like him enough to try to nab him sometime late in the first round. The Jets almost certainly would not consider him at No. 7 unless something changes radically. A trade back into the first round, or at least early in the second, might end up suiting them.
Dart threw for 4,279 yards, 29 touchdowns, and six interceptions at Ole Miss in 2024.
