NFL insider compares Jaxson Dart to MVP amid Shedeur Sanders rumors

Multiple noteworthy NFL reporters said throughout the second half of March that some teams view Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart and not Colorado's Shedeur Sanders as the second-best quarterback in this year's draft class behind Miami's Cam Ward.

On Monday, well-known analyst Todd McShay of The Ringer addressed the rise of Dart's draft stock this spring.

"I actually have the same grade on Dart as I have on Shedeur Sanders," McShay wrote, "and I think Dart could provide massive value to any team with a quarterback need — especially one in the top three, which may be best served taking one of the blue-chip players with its top pick and then grabbing a QB elsewhere in the draft."

Specifically, McShay suggested that New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen should select either Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter or Penn State pass-rusher Abdul Carter with the third pick of this year's draft if the Cleveland Browns take Sanders at No. 2. Schoen could then possibly either target Dart in the second round or trade back up into the first round for the young signal-caller.

The Giants currently have Russell Wilson on track to serve as their Week 1 starter this coming September. Meanwhile, McShay compared Dart to a certain Buffalo Bills star who happens to be the league's reigning regular-season Most Valuable Player.

"Maybe it’s because (head coach) Lane Kiffin’s system at Ole Miss featured too many predetermined reads," McShay continued, "obscuring how Dart’s game will transfer to the NFL. I do think he will need a year to adjust to the intricacies of the pro game. But I’ve said before that Dart has some Josh Allen in his game, and I’ve meant it — his suddenness in the pocket and ability to make throws under pressure could make him special."

NFL Media's Eric Edholm is among those who believe that Sanders could slide into the teens of the draft's first round. ESPN's Matt Miller thinks the Los Angeles Rams could grab Dart with the No. 26 choice if Sanders is off the board by then. 

"The real X-factor actually may be who Dart is," NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated wrote for a piece published Monday. "The people at Ole Miss rave about him, believing he’s got the 'it' factor a guy needs to lead an NFL team, and the drive and determination to earn the right to do just that. He’d been something of a pied piper for the Rebels the past couple of years, building bonds with players in every corner of the locker room (one coach there for pro day noted how he addressed all the equipment guys shagging balls for him by name), and using those relationships to bring the team with him."

The New York Jets hold the draft's seventh pick and reportedly are "enamored with Dart." Breer hinted that a New Orleans Saints team that could be ready to move on from Derek Carr next offseason could grab Dart at selection No. 9, depending on how things play out on April 24.