Lane Kiffin saved the Ole Miss football program three years ago by recruiting Jaxson Dart in the transfer portal before the 2022 season. In his three years under center in Oxford, Dart rewrote the record books and led the team to 29 wins including two bowl game wins.
Dart was the Rebels’ best quarterback since Eli Manning and has seen his draft stock rise dramatically in recent weeks. He has plenty of suitors at the NFL level and Chad Reuter of NFL.com recently predicted in his latest mock draft that the New York Jets would trade back into the first round and select Dart with pick No. 31.
Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
While many feel that Dart has all the tools to be a good quarterback at the next level, he is a little rough around the edges and is considered to be a bit of a project. For that reason, a majority of mock drafts have the Ole Miss quarterback landing in the second round, but Reuter explained why the Jets were willing to give up capital to get their quarterback of the future.
“Multiple teams could be looking for a quarterback early in Round 2. To avoid the Friday night rush, the Jets trade up from Pick No. 42 overall in Round 2, sending that selection and a fourth-, fifth- and sixth-round pick to the Chiefs,” Reuter wrote. “Dart’s efficiency, smooth delivery and above-average mobility for the position earn him the nod in this mock.”
The New York Jets hired Aaron Glenn this offseason with the understanding that he would turn the franchise around. A major step in that process is finding the right quarterback, and Reuter believes that the Jets see Dart in that light based on this mock draft.
