Should Rams have traded up for Jaxson Dart?
The Los Angeles Rams were linked to Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart before the draft and some speculated at the time that Les Snead only traded out of the first round because the New York Giants traded up to get in front of them to take Dart off the board. In days and weeks since then, rumors of L.A.’s interest in Dart have been eviscerated by reports and behind-the-scenes videos so the most likely case scenario is that the Rams were always happy to trade down with the Atlanta Falcons for a future first round pick.
However, even if the Rams did ‘extensive homework’ on Dart and decided conclusively that he would not be worth a first round pick, there will always be those questions of whether Snead and Sean McVay made a mistake if Dart turns out to be a steal for the Giants.
Very early in his NFL career and with only offseason practices to go off of, the “excellent” Dart is progressing nicely according to head coach Brian Daboll. “He’s smart, he’s aggressive with the football, which I like…he’s progressed since he’s been here.”
Jaxson Dart has been “excellent” in the Giants’ spring program, says Brian Daboll:
“He’s smart, he’s aggressive with the football – which I like…he’s progressed since he’s been here” pic.twitter.com/mMcZe7ndOK
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) June 17, 2025
A college career like Dart’s would’ve once scared teams away from drafting him in the first round and I’m not talking about 20-30 years ago. I’m talking about 2-3 years ago.
Dart was off to a promising start as a true freshman at USC in 2021, but was pushed out of a job when Caleb Williams transferred to the Trojans to follow head coach Lincoln Riley. Dart’s next two seasons at Ole Miss were considered mediocre by NFL standards and he fell off the radar for most draft analysts.
Even Dart’s senior season, although the numbers were great, didn’t immediately put him into any first round conversations.
It was only leading up to the final weeks of the pre-draft process that anyone started to seriously consider Dart as a first round prospect. And that’s largely because other than Cam Ward, nobody else was considered worthy of a first round pick (other than, ironically, fifth rounder Shedeur Sanders).
Said this twice last night, based off conversations with two people over there: The Rams were never going to take Dart. They were always trying to trade back. Didn’t love him as a prospect — especially not in first.
Idea Giants played chess by jumping LAR for him is untrue. https://t.co/XNiFszNwIw
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) April 25, 2025
The Rams were a team that consistently popped into the conversation as being interested in taking a QB with their first round pick despite re-committing to starter Matthew Stafford for the near future. Yes, Stafford is the third-oldest presumed starter in the NFL, but at 37 he might actually be able to start for four more seasons if he has the will to do so.
Aaron Rodgers will turn 42 this season — and he won back-to-back MVPs when he was 37 and 38.
Joe Flacco will turn 41 in January.
Drafting Dart in the first round, which L.A. could have done with only a small trade, could have put Stafford in the crosshairs as early as this year. Any interception (even in a practice) could be a door opening for some fans to call for Dart, and we know that Stafford is going to throw his share of interceptions.
Is that what the Rams really need going into Stafford’s 16th season?
Jaxson Dart appears to be QB2 heading into the remainder of the summer for the New York Giants, per @JordanRaanan
Dart has had his ups and downs throughout OTAs but has flashed serious potential. pic.twitter.com/n7Sr0ih2uE
— SleeperGiants (@SleeperGiants) June 16, 2025
It’s basically the same thing that’s happening in New York right now.
Although Russell Wilson is not at the same level as Stafford anymore, he also knows that very few Giants fans would rather see him starting than Dart. Which also leaves backup Jameis Winston in a bad spot because he’s prone to lose his QB2 job any day now.
That will be for the better if Dart turns out to be the steal of the draft. More likely than not though, Dart is not the steal of the draft.
Quarterbacks drafted in the back half of the first round, so 17 to 32, have not usually been good picks. Here are the nine quarterbacks drafted in that range since Stafford’s draft year in 2009, in order of games started:
- Lamar Jackson, 32nd pick
- Teddy Bridgewater, 32nd pick
- Josh Freeman, 17th pick
- Jordan Love, 26th pick
- Kenny Pickett, 20th pick
- Brandon Weeden, 22nd pick
- Tim Tebow, 25th pick
- Johnny Manziel, 22nd pick
- Paxton Lynch, 26th pick
Aside from Lamar, and maybe Love, there are not any long-term worthy commitments in the group. You are basically five times likelier to have drafted Tim Tebow than you are to have drafted Lamar.
However, if Dart is that shot-in-the-dark who ends up working out for the Giants long-term, Snead and company will have to review their draft process. What did they miss? What could they have done differently? And how much has the process changed because of the massive wholesale changes in college football over the last five years?
Or is the draft just like being blindfolded while playing darts?