ESPN analyst predicts Jaxson Dart to be Derek Carr’s successor in latest mock draft
ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has a surprise top-10 pick in his latest 2025 NFL Mock Draft.
Kiper released his latest mock draft on Tuesday for the first round, and his first surprise pick came at ninth overall. The draft analyst predicted the New Orleans Saints will select Jaxson Dart with the ninth pick to replace Derek Carr.
"OK, here's the surprise pick. And I know the Saints just restructured Derek Carr's contract to tie him to the team for at least one more season," Kiper wrote. "But what happens after that season?
"New coach Kellen Moore might want a young quarterback to work with and develop over the course of 2025 before turning the offense over to him in 2026. I'm hearing more and more first-round buzz on Dart, and New Orleans seems like a good fit."
Kiper said Dart would be able to learn from Carr for a year and sit behind him and wouldn't be forced to play, which could help his development.
The draft analyst said New Orleans has plenty of holes on the roster but finding a franchise quarterback is a must, and he thinks Dart can be that.
Dart went 276-for-398 for 4,279 yards, 29 touchdowns and six interceptions last season with Ole Miss. As for Carr, he only played in 10 games last season due to an injury and went 189-for-279 for 2,145 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Ole Miss coach expects Jaxson Dart to thrive in the NFL
Jaxson Dart's name has started to rise up draft boards and many expect him to be a first-round pick.
Dart has entered talks of being the second quarterback off the board after Cam Ward. Although his name has risen up the draft boards, his college coach Lane Kiffin isn't surprised as he expects Dart to have a ton of success in the NFL.
“Yeah I think a lot of times in the NFL there’s so much longer verbiage and terminology, which create over time a shortened-down (version) so we can play faster,” Kiffin said at the Senior Bowl, via On3.
“But he still has a lot of the concepts, a lot of the knowledge for it. And he can adapt to anything, so he’ll be awesome.”
Jaxson Dart is ranked as Kiper's third-ranked quarterback heading into the 2025 NFL Draft.