Steelers Predicted to Take Shot on Rising QB

Even if Aaron Rodgers ends up in the black and gold, the Pittsburgh Steelers face a ton of uncertainty regarding the future of the quarterback position.

For that reason, ESPN's Field Yates has the team selecting Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart with their first-round pick at No. 21 overall in his latest mock draft.

"While it seems the Steelers are the most likely landing spot for Aaron Rodgers, signing him would not preclude them from looking toward the future at quarterback," Yates wrote. "Rodgers is 41 years old, and each coming season is a true year-to-year proposition. But Pittsburgh hasn't even signed Rodgers yet, meaning Mason Rudolph is the current QB1. Let's lock up another signal-caller for the Steelers here. 

"Dart broke Eli Manning's school record at Ole Miss for passing yards (4,279) and led the FBS in yards per attempt (10.8) in 2024. He has good mobility and accuracy, throwing 52 touchdowns and 11 interceptions over the past two seasons."

Though the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac doesn't believe the Steelers will select a signal caller early in the 2025 NFL Draft and will instead wait until next year to do so, their interest in Dart is certainly notable.

The organization met with the 21-year-old at the NFL Combine, and while neither head coach Mike Tomlin nor general manager Omar Khan were seen at Ole Miss' Pro Day last week, it's been reported that Dart will still head to Pittsburgh for a pre-draft visit.

He led the Rebels to a 10-3 record last season while leading the SEC in passing yards with 4,279 and completion rate at 69.3 percent.

Dart performed admirably at the combine as well as the Senior Bowl, and his physical tools make him easy to project to the next level, but there are concerns about whether or not Ole Miss' offense sufficiently prepared him for the NFL.

The Steelers are more likely to target a defensive lineman or perhaps even a running back on Day 1 of the draft, especially if they sign Rodgers, but Dart is a name to watch if they decide to select a quarterback.