- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 460,786
- Reaction score
- 44
In a quarterback class lacking in potential long-term starters, Jaxson Dart has become one of the hottest names because of his size, athleticism and accuracy. It will be a very difficult transition to the NFL because of Dart’s college offense. Perhaps if a team has enough patience, he can develop into a starter a few years down the road, but someone will be making a mistake if he’s drafted with immediate expectations.
Height: 6’2’’, Weight: 223, Arm Length: 30’’, Hands: 9.5”
It’s so difficult to project Dart to the NFL based on what he was asked to do at Ole Miss. On a big chunk of their plays, the receivers on half the field aren’t even running routes, and a ludicrous 53.2% of Dart’s dropbacks came with the aid of playaction. When playing from behind and forced to operate a pure drop back passing game, Dart didn’t have nearly the same level of success. His yards per attempt dropped by 3.1 yards when he wasn’t using play action, one of the largest discrepancies in the country.
On the positive side, Dart has a very good feel for the pass rush and can avoid pressure by escaping the pocket as well as with incremental movements within the pocket. He’s a very skilled creator with his legs and his arm. He can make accurate throws on the move in the short and intermediate parts of the field. In general, Dart is very accurate inside of 25 yards. He has a quick release and a good arm to fit the ball into tight windows. He also adjusts his ball placement to protect his receivers. These skills make him outstanding on RPO’s as well.
While Dart is almost never asked to read the entire field on a play, he shows some ability to get through a few reads. He has the processing ability to do this more consistently, but his footwork can let him down. This makes it more likely that he develops this skill in the NFL, but it’s going to take time.
One of the area’s where Dart needs to improve the most is reading the leverage of defenders in zone coverage, particularly on vertical routes. Time and time again, Dart makes throws downfield when a safety is able to easily cut off his receiver. Perhaps it’s a timing issue rather than his decision making, but either way it significantly hurts his effectiveness downfield. There are also a number of plays where Dart makes the opposite mistake. A receiver will be running full speed at a flat footed safety with Dart looking right at him, but he doesn’t pull the trigger.
These decision flaws are compounded with Dart’s shoddy accuracy on throws beyond 25 to 30 yards. He misses in every direction, and there are no significant mechanical flaws that are causing the inaccuracy. He just can’t put the ball where he wants in the vertical game.
Dart offers a lot of values in the designed quarterback run game. His running style is eerily similar to Jalen Hurts, although Hurts is a more powerful athlete. If Dart does earn playing time right away, expect his offense to lean heavily into this skillset
If you want to be overly optimistic, you can squint and see a player similar to early career Jalen Hurts. The main problem with this comparison is that Hurts is a pinpoint deep passer, and it would be stunning to see Dart become the same. More realisticly, Dart could be a bridge starter that reminds fans of Gardner Minshew, but with much more rushing production.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: NFL Draft Scouting Report - QB Jaxson Dart
Continue reading...
Measurables
Height: 6’2’’, Weight: 223, Arm Length: 30’’, Hands: 9.5”
Scouting Overview
It’s so difficult to project Dart to the NFL based on what he was asked to do at Ole Miss. On a big chunk of their plays, the receivers on half the field aren’t even running routes, and a ludicrous 53.2% of Dart’s dropbacks came with the aid of playaction. When playing from behind and forced to operate a pure drop back passing game, Dart didn’t have nearly the same level of success. His yards per attempt dropped by 3.1 yards when he wasn’t using play action, one of the largest discrepancies in the country.
On the positive side, Dart has a very good feel for the pass rush and can avoid pressure by escaping the pocket as well as with incremental movements within the pocket. He’s a very skilled creator with his legs and his arm. He can make accurate throws on the move in the short and intermediate parts of the field. In general, Dart is very accurate inside of 25 yards. He has a quick release and a good arm to fit the ball into tight windows. He also adjusts his ball placement to protect his receivers. These skills make him outstanding on RPO’s as well.
While Dart is almost never asked to read the entire field on a play, he shows some ability to get through a few reads. He has the processing ability to do this more consistently, but his footwork can let him down. This makes it more likely that he develops this skill in the NFL, but it’s going to take time.
One of the area’s where Dart needs to improve the most is reading the leverage of defenders in zone coverage, particularly on vertical routes. Time and time again, Dart makes throws downfield when a safety is able to easily cut off his receiver. Perhaps it’s a timing issue rather than his decision making, but either way it significantly hurts his effectiveness downfield. There are also a number of plays where Dart makes the opposite mistake. A receiver will be running full speed at a flat footed safety with Dart looking right at him, but he doesn’t pull the trigger.
These decision flaws are compounded with Dart’s shoddy accuracy on throws beyond 25 to 30 yards. He misses in every direction, and there are no significant mechanical flaws that are causing the inaccuracy. He just can’t put the ball where he wants in the vertical game.
Dart offers a lot of values in the designed quarterback run game. His running style is eerily similar to Jalen Hurts, although Hurts is a more powerful athlete. If Dart does earn playing time right away, expect his offense to lean heavily into this skillset
Player Comparison
If you want to be overly optimistic, you can squint and see a player similar to early career Jalen Hurts. The main problem with this comparison is that Hurts is a pinpoint deep passer, and it would be stunning to see Dart become the same. More realisticly, Dart could be a bridge starter that reminds fans of Gardner Minshew, but with much more rushing production.
Final Grade: Mid/Late 3rd Round
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: NFL Draft Scouting Report - QB Jaxson Dart
Continue reading...
