NY Jets’ interest in drafting Jaxson Dart is gaining serious momentum

The New York Jets entered the offseason searching for Aaron Rodgers' replacement and successfully landed their top target, Justin Fields. The hope is that Fields can serve as a solid bridge starter while offering enough upside to give the Jets a glimpse of a potential long-term solution.

But while Fields offers the allure of upside, the Jets aren't signing him with the expectation that he will be their long-term starter. At best, Fields is a dart throw in a weak quarterback market. The Jets are very well aware that they may be looking for a new starter come 2026 or 2027.

Why wait until then, however? ESPN's Rich Cimini confirmed on Wednesday that the presence of Fields "won't preclude the Jets from drafting a quarterback" this year. One quarterback prospect, in particular, seems to be drawing interest from Darren Mougey and company.

Cimini is reporting that "there's a lot of Jets buzz surrounding Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart." Dart is one of the fastest-rising prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft and has been connected to the Jets a lot in recent weeks.

NY Jets eyeing Jaxson Dart in the 2025 NFL Draft

A three-year starter at Ole Miss, Dart earned first-team All-SEC honors in 2024 after leading his team to a 10-3 record. Dart finished the year — the most successful of his college career — with 29 touchdowns, six interceptions, 4,279 passing yards, and a stellar 69 percent completion rate.

The Utah native — he played at the same high school as Zach Wilson — was seen as a likely Day 2 pick a few months ago but has seen his stock rise exponentially in 2025, due in part to a lackluster quarterback class.

The Jets hold the No. 7 overall pick in this year's draft and still have holes at wide receiver, defensive tackle, tight end, right tackle, and many other positions to address. Dart's stock has risen enough to the point where he's become another viable option at that spot.

Dart is expected to be off the board well before the Jets' No. 42 overall pick in the second round. If the buzz is accurate and the Jets genuinely have interest, they’ll need to target him in the first round. Another option could be trading back and selecting him later in the round.

Fields makes it so that the Jets aren't forced to target a quarterback in this year's draft, which is probably for the best given this class, but don't rule out the possibility. Unless the buzz is a classic smokescreen, Dart remains in play for the Jets in next month's draft.

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