The universe has a unique way of balancing things out. The NFL fans will find a gifted quarterback in Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart. Remember what the Rebels’ head coach said while his ‘Dark Horse’ confirmed to switch to the pro league? “We are blessed to have you as a teammate.” Eventually, Dart made Kiffin feel prouder. Even though initially it appeared that Dart might have missed the hype train, that’s not the case. He even left Shedeur Sanders behind in the Draft race. Right now, he has the New Orleans Saints rooting for him. Already, the NFL giants are in deep soup, as they face a plaguing $150 million issue.  

While Dart was late to the NFL Draft party, he has already left his mark on college football. He surpassed Eli Manning in the Ole Miss record books. Kiffin’s signal-caller threw for 10,617 yards, while Manning’s numbers were 10,119 yards. Maybe the NFL legend could predict things early. Last year in May, the Ole Miss’ Grove Collective had planned an event at the Manning Center. It also had a segment named “Evening with Eli Manning and Jaxson Dart.” There, Eli Manning confessed, “And Jaxson. I’m rooting for them. I want (Dart) to break – he’s probably broken all my records – I want him to break all of them. I want him to go have a big year and go get that SEC Championship.” Sadly, their championship dreams did not come true. But at least, Dart is making his program proud in the pro league.

  

The quarterback flies off to the NFL, gifting college football 4,279 yards and 29 touchdowns in his last season in college. Against Arkansas, he came up with 515 yards and 6 touchdowns. Also, later in the first half of the Gator Bowl, Dart passed QB Chad Kelly‘s decade-old Ole Miss football single-season passing record of 4,042 yards. So, it’s obvious he has found himself in the 1st-round buzz conversation.

The mock draft has him going at No.9 to the New Orleans Saints. On that note, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter had to say something. On the Rich Eisen Show, he gave a glimpse of how the draft culture works, how they try to keep the confusion about their probable pick till the very last minute. But at the last minute, they pull up the trade-up card. Schefter informed, “I could tell you there seems to be a lot of sentiment out there, right or wrong, that the Saints love Jaxson Dart.”

Schefter continued, “There is a belief amongst teams that the Saints love him, the [New York] Giants have an awful lot of ties with Ole Miss ties to Jaxson Dart.” For the Saints, they’re in a bit of a cap situation. With Derek Carr, he was asked if he would take a contract restructure to help. But he refused to take the pay cut. Now that Carr is injured, Kellen Moore has to bring someone in as the ideal replacement.

But leaving Dart in the Draft till the ninth overall pick would be too risky. As Rich Eisen questioned, “So, do the Saints love Dart ninth overall?” Schefter replied, “I don’t think so. I don’t think they love him like that, but the Saints typically have been a very aggressive team in going up to get who they want.” Now, where does Coach Moore and Co. stand at the moment?

Jaxson Dart’s chances amidst looming injury concerns in New Orleans

Two offseasons ago, the Saints gave Carr a four-year, $150 million deal after the Las Vegas Raiders, his longtime team, released him. But it did not catapult New Orleans’ luck. Rather, they have floundered at the bottom of the NFC South standings.

On April 23, Saints GM Mickey Loomis confirmed that Carr has an “issue” with his shoulder. However, they are yet to have clarity. Thus, the GM declined any other Carr-related questions, including when the team found out about the injury, but said it would not affect the Saints’ draft approach. Now, what can make the Saints count on Dart?

Pro Football Network’s Reese Decker came up with his bold take. “While many rank [Shedeur] Sanders ahead of Jaxson Dart, New Orleans may prefer the Ole Miss star. Dart draws comparisons to Jalen Hurts thanks to his strong lower body, toughness, and leadership. With former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore now running the offense, Dart could be a perfect fit for the same system that helped Hurts lead Philly to a Super Bowl.” However, in case New Orleans’ Dart plans become successful, it will alter the plans of a 2026 quarterback.

That’s none other than Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning. Yes, the 19-year-old will not be available for the NFL Draft until 2026. But so what? He has already caught the NFL hype. Draft analyst Thor Nystrom wants to see Manning in the Saints’ jersey. On April 11, he came with a detailed blueprint for the New Orleans head coach to follow:

“Step 1: Rule Carr out for the season Step 2: Announce Spencer Rattler as QB1 Step 3: Earn the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft  Step 4: Be a major player in free agency next spring by using rolled-over cap relief from Carr missing previous season Step 5: Draft Arch Manning.”

Now, if Kellen Moore locks in on Jaxson Dart this season, the search for a franchise QB might finally be over. With this, they might close the door to Arch Manning.