Jaxson Dart visited with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday, April 4th. The Steelers were one of the last teams that Dart visited with during his pre-draft process. The Steelers are still deciding what they will do come draft day with the 21st pick. Will they take a quarterback, running back, wide receiver, offensive lineman, defensive lineman or safety? The quarterback and defensive line are probably the Steelers' biggest position needs going into the draft.
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Former Ole Miss Quarterback Jaxson Dart throwing a pass during Ole Miss Pro Day.
Even if Aaron Rodgers signs with the Steelers, drafting a quarterback is still a must since Rodgers has more time behind him than in front of him. Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders have more than likely solidified themselves as the top two of this draft class.
Dart is slowly making himself the third, but the question of where to draft him is still in the air. The attention Dart is starting to receive from multiple teams only means he may be off the board sooner rather than later on draft day. Initial talks around Dart were that he could potentially be a second-day pick.
Dart still may be a second-day pick, but it will be early in round two, and the Steelers currently do not have a second-rounder to use on him. If Dart is available when the Steelers are on the clock in round one, they will have a decision because if they pass on him there because he will surely not be available with the 83rd pick in round three.
NFL Insider Ian Rapoport believes the Steelers would rather draft a young quarterback to grow with rather than sign veteran quarterbacks every year.
"I'm not sure they love the idea of doing this veteran quarterback thing year after year," Rapoport said. "They would like to get a young guy. They would like to get someone who is worth it. They would like to get someone they could grow with. The Steelers are among the teams who spent a lot of time with Jaxson Dart. The Saints have also spent a ton of time with him. The Giants and Browns those are the teams... There's no guarantee you get him in the back half of the first round."
Pittsburgh is not the only team that has spent significant time with Dart during his pre-draft process. The other teams interested in Dart are the Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints and New York Giants. Each of these teams holds a higher pick than the Steelers in round one, and all currently have second-round picks. So, if Dart is there at 21, the Steelers will need to take him, or one of those teams surely will in round two.
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Former Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart throws a pass during a collegiate game.
The Browns have the number two pick in the draft, so if they truly believe Dart is their guy, then the Steelers will never have a chance of picking him at 21. The same goes for the Giants and Saints, as they currently hold the third and ninth picks in round one, but it's truly unlikely that Dart goes that early, unless one of the teams shocks the NFL world.
So, if Pittsburgh is sold on Dart as a first-round pick, then there is a possibility he won't be available by 21, and they would need to trade up to draft him. But is Dart worth trading up for in round one to draft?
Steelers Should Draft Jaxson Dart No Matter What
The Steelers' current quarterback room consists of Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson. Any day now, that quarterback room could also include Rodgers. If Rodgers signs with the Steelers, they should still consider drafting a signal-caller, especially Dart. Ward and Sanders are probably the only two quarterbacks in this draft that will start day one, so it wouldn't hurt the Steelers to draft Dart and allow him to sit behind Rodgers for a season or two.
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Former Ole Miss Quarterback Jaxson Dart during a collegiate game.
Dart, in his final collegiate season with Ole Miss, did not disappoint, throwing for 4,279 yards and 29 touchdown passes. Dart also rushed for nearly 500 yards and 3 touchdowns. Dart finished the season third in passing yards and 10th in passing touchdowns.
Dart is more than capable of being a starting quarterback in the NFL, but given a year or two to sit behind a guy like Rodgers could only be beneficial in the long run. It's proven to be beneficial for Rodgers as well as Patrick Mahomes, who both sat behind someone in their rookie seasons. So, if the Steelers are looking for their franchise quarterback, they draft Dart whether or not Rodgers signs.
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