While pursuing future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quest to land a starting quarterback has received a lot of attention this offseason. The Steelers have not opted to re-sign 2024 starter Russell Wilson and allowed Justin Fields to leave in free agency. With no deal in place with Rodgers, there have been many mock drafts that have projected the Steelers to take Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart with the 21st pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. While that has become a popular projection, sources with the Steelers say the team does not have a first-round grade on Dart, and they do not value him on the opening night of the draft.
Sources with the Steelers say that taking Dart in the first round would be Kenny Pickett 2.0. Pittsburgh drafted Pickett with the 20th pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, but Pickett only lasted two seasons in Pittsburgh, and team sources feel that Pickett was not a real first-round talent. Back at the NFL Scouting Combine, I surveyed team sources to see if they thought Dart was a legitimate first-round pick. Out of 10 teams surveyed, nine of them said no, he was not a legit first-rounder. The Steelers can now be added to that group to make it 10 out of 11.
Pittsburgh sources say that Dart could be in play for the Steelers on the second day of the draft. They traded their second-round pick to the Seahawks for veteran wide receiver D.K. Metcalf, so Pittsburgh is without some day-two ammo. Perhaps where they value Dart will change in the weeks to come when the coaching staff joins in for organizational draft meetings. Signing Rodgers, bringing back Wilson, or adding a different veteran could lead to them ruling out a quarterback in the first round. In my latest 2025 NFL Mock Draft, I have the Steelers hitting a different need in the opening night of the draft, and team sources do not feel that Dart would be a worthy prospect for the 21st pick in the draft.
