- A true distributor: He constantly got the ball where it was designed to go in Ole Miss' offense, depending on the coverage.
- Dart lacks an elite trait: While Dart brings really good qualities and shows flashes in certain areas, he is without a defining characteristic to be an elite prospect.
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2024 PFF Grades and Stats (rank out of 56 draft-eligible QBs)
| PFF Overall Grade | 92.5 (2nd) |
| Big-Time Throw % | 7.1% (2nd) |
| Turnover-Worthy Play % | 2.2% (16th) |
| Adjusted Completion % | 77.7% (9th) |
| Pressure-to-Sack Rate | 19.2% (34th) |
| PFF Clean Pocket Grade | 94.3 (2nd) |
| PFF Under Pressure Grade | 68.4 (5th) |
Background
Jaxson Dart is a 21-year-old, 6-foot-2 and 225-pound quarterback out of Ole Miss. Dart started his college career at USC, appearing in only six games before transferring to Ole Miss. He became the starter in 2022 and remained in that role for the rest of his college tenure. In 2024, Dart led the Rebels to a 10-3 record and was the first-team All-SEC quarterback.
Strengths
Distributor
When I think of a distributor at the quarterback position, I think of someone who is accurate, plays on time and is constantly in rhythm. That’s how Dart plays. His 94.3 clean pocket PFF grade placed second in the FBS, exemplifying that.
At Ole Miss, he did a great job of constantly getting the ball where it was designed to go depending on the coverage. He was decisive with where to throw when he could quickly identify the coverage. He knew where that coverage was weak and how to exploit it. That didn’t really change when pockets were congested, and it’s why his under pressure PFF grade was one of the highest in the nation. He was able to stand and deliver in those tight pockets because he knew where the ball was supposed to go.
Not a one-speed thrower
Dart also did a fantastic job of understanding what each throw needed in terms of velocity, touch and placement. Many quarterbacks are one-speed throwers, meaning every pass is typically thrown with maximum velocity. Dart knows that some throws need touch — not only on deep balls but also in the intermediate areas. On throws with a targeted depth between 5 and 25 yards, Dart had the highest accuracy percentage and the fourth-lowest uncatchable accuracy rate in the FBS. Not all of those throws need to be thrown with velocity, and he understood how to place balls in certain spots to help his receivers.
Weaknesses
Struggles after the first look
I touched on how good Dart is at distributing the ball when he can quickly identify the coverage. That changes when the defense presents something unique or his first look isn’t open. PFF charts a quarterback's initial and how often he switches to his next read. It’s an inexact science because there can be multiple reads built into one side of the field, but it does a decent job of showing how often quarterbacks look from one side of the field to the other and if they can still deliver the ball on time.
When Dart threw to his initial read, his 92.9 PFF passing grade was the second highest in the FBS. When he was forced to get off that initial read and flip to the other side of the field, his PFF passing grade dropped to 60.3, ranking 63rd in the FBS. Some of that has to do with Ole Miss' offense. The Rebels don’t typically run passing concepts that ask quarterbacks to read through the full field, instead focusing on one side of the field. That showed when Dart was forced off his initial read — and it’s something he’ll have to improve on drastically in the NFL.
No elite traits
When looking at quarterback prospects, scouts try to find elite traits. Does a quarterback have elite arm talent and playmaking ability, or is he an elite processor who is constantly one step ahead of the defense? The elite quarterbacks in today's NFL all have at least one elite trait they can bank on.
While Dart brings really good qualities and shows flashes in certain areas, he doesn’t really have that elite trait. His arm talent is good, but he lacks high-end velocity. He can make some plays as a scrambler, but he’s not an elite athlete who can live outside the pocket making plays. He’s shown flashes with his processing speed, but due to Ole Miss' offense, there’s an unknown with how quickly he can process in an NFL offense that will require him to work through the full field.
Some quarterbacks can succeed in the NFL as competent starters without an elite trait. But to be among the best, you have to have that one reliable aspect.
Summary
Dart has one of the best two-year grading profiles of any quarterback prospect. It’s easy to see why when you turn on the tape. He does a good job of getting the ball to where it’s designed to go, and he knows what each throw needs. He excels in the intermediate and deep areas of the field and is constantly creating big plays with his arm. However, being able to quickly process information post-snap when things don’t go exactly as designed is still a big question with Dart. While you can typically bank on some quarterbacks to rely on their elite arm talent or playmaking ability, Dart isn't elite in either facet, which makes it hard to project him as a top-tier quarterback at the next level.
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