As the parade of official prospect visits continues at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, arguably the highest-profile prospect yet met with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday.
Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart was among those hosted Friday. Dart is projected by most to be selected in the late first or early second rounds of the April 24-26 draft. The Steelers are exploring options for their quarterback of the future and currently hold the No. 21 overall selection. As it stands now, they do not have a second-round pick.
Dart is generally regarded as the third-best quarterback available in what is thought of mostly as a mediocre QB class. The 6-foot-2, 223-pound Dart began his career as a true freshman starting at Southern Cal but spent the past three seasons at Ole Miss. In 2024, Dart was named first-team all-SEC after leading the nation in yards per attempt (10.8) and amassing the third-most passing yards (4,279).
X video of Dart
He might have won over some evaluators with his decision to play in the Gator Bowl — many high-profile draft prospects leave their college team before the postseason — and getting named MVP of the game when he had 404 passing yards and four touchdowns in a 52-20 win against Duke.
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Dart also had a stellar bowl game at the end of the 2023 season when he had 379 passing yards and three touchdowns in a 38-25 win against Penn State at the Peach Bowl.
Dart is not an elite runner but has above-average mobility. He ranks below Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders in this QB class by consensus of draft analysts.
The Steelers currently have only longtime backup Mason Rudolph and journeyman Skylar Thompson on their roster at quarterback. Aaron Rodgers, though, is widely expected a strong likelihood of signing with the team this spring.