Potential Raiders QB Target Dominates in Bowl Game

Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart has been on the radar for numerous NFL teams, including the Las Vegas Raiders. He just dominated the Gator Bowl.

Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) calls a play during the first quarter of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders have been tied to a quarterback in the NFL Draft all season.

It is a positional need for the Silver and Black, with the franchise still weary about the long-term potential of second-year starter Aidan O'Connell. The buzz has surrounded Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, but another name has been tied to the Raiders: Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.

Dart just had a dominant performance for No. 16 Ole Miss in the Gator Bowl against Duke. Earning the Gator Bowl's MVP honors, Dart tossed four touchdowns and four touchdowns in the 52-20 blowout. He made some incredible throws off-platform and on the move, showing impeccable accuracy.

Dart, a tools-y USC transfer, has all of the ability of an NFL quarterback. However, this year's draft class is significantly weaker than the 2024 class. Many scouts and experts are concerned about prospects not named Sanders or Cam Ward. Lot of red flags.

The 33rd Team's Kyle Crabbs summed up Dart's game in a scouting report.

"Thanks to an effective marriage with offensive savant Lane Kiffin, Dart has made the most of his opportunity to play in the SEC by launching explosive pass plays to a slew of gifted pass catchers," Crabbs wrote. "Dart has the necessary athleticism to get outside the pocket and extend plays, plus the arm strength to access most areas of the field when he’s flushed off his spot. However, the precision of his game will need tuning in the pros, as the supporting cast and offensive scheme at Ole Miss provide a margin for error that Dart’s play will likely not be afforded at the NFL level."

There are plenty of concerns in Dart's game, how coachable some of those areas of criticism are is up in the air at this point.

"[Dart's] process vs. pressure is not particularly efficient, and his overall performance in this area looms as a big spot for growth," Crabbs wrote. "Too often, Dart will drop his eyes when he feels a collapsing pocket and miss opportunities to make easier throws, and even more frustrating are the times when he locks onto a primary read and does not work through his targets to locate secondary options with the football to avoid hits or sacks.

"Given the spacing he is afforded in a spread offense at Ole Miss, these issues only compound at the NFL level when the field is more compressed, and the action happens faster."

No prospect is perfect. But the Raiders are making a conscious effort to avoid gambling, choosing to invest in the NFL Draft. Yes, they need a quarterback. But with minority owner and world-class football genius Tom Brady helping choose a signal caller and making key scouting decisions, it will be about finding the right quarterback.

Not just a quarterback for quarterback's sake.

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