The Ole Miss gunslinger is smoking hot. Jaxson Dart is expected to go in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft after he put on a stupendous show at the combine. Completing 18 out of 23 passes with a distinguished arm talent, Buzz was high that he might hear his name in the first half of the first round. But as we inch closer to the draft day, the opinions started to vary widely. While Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders seem to be a lock for the Tennessee Titans and the Cleveland Browns, respectively, Dart, the major wild card entry of the draft conversations, seems to impress the $5.3 billion NFL league.

The team in question is none other than the Pittsburgh Steelers. They have been interested in the Rebels’ QB for a while. Now, they are taking it to the next level. The scouts have met the 21-year-old during the NFL Combine, but they skipped him during the Rebels’ pro day. Neither head coach Mike Tomlin nor general manager Omar Khan travelled to Oxford last week to see their target perform live. But wait, they already had an alternative in their mind that might freak you out. The latest intel suggested that Dart will still head to Pittsburgh for a pre-draft visit today.

Considering the popular narrative tagging him as a “less-athletic version of Kenny Pickett”, the Steelers should be careful to avoid making that mistake for the second time. Dart has been an asset during the combine as well as in the Senior Bowl. But there are certainly some areas of concern that might force Tomlin to think twice before reaching too far with him. Dart, 21, has been honing draft boards over the past couple of months after throwing for 10,617 yards, 72 touchdowns, and 22 interceptions during his three years at Mississippi. He also rushed for 1,500 yards and 12 more scores. But there are a few holes in his downfield accuracy, and many believed his limited window on the Rebels’ offense didn’t prepare him to be a pro quarterback at all.

Also, there is another tantalising name swirling over the lore, who can find a home in the Steelers.

Will the Steelers have any chance with Aaron Rodgers? 

No need to introduce the name. None other than Aaron Rodgers, the failed New York Jets leader. He has visited the facility, and has worked closely with their receiver DK Metcalf, but couldn’t really make up his mind yet. Maybe he is still secretly waiting for the Vikings to change their mind and add him to the Minnesota QB room, dumping on J.J. McCarthy.

But National Insider for NFL Network, Ian Rapoport, doesn’t think so. He believes Rodgers has woken up from the dream by now. During a conversation with Pat McAfee, the draft mogul said, “I don’t think the Vikings were a pipe dream for Aaron Rodgers, & I think at one point the Vikings considered it.. The Vikings are all in on JJ McCarthy & it certainly seems like Aaron Rodgers is gonna sign with the Steelers. 

Also, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN seems optimistic about the Steelers’ chance to land Rodgers at some point in time, despite all the competition in the market. Rodgers surely could view the Vikings as a more Super Bowl-worthy destination, but Mike Tomlin isn’t naïve enough to hold on to him for so long without a certain amount of assurance. They have already had the contract conversation, but nothing is imminent right now. As AJ Hawk said, Rodgers loves the Steelers staff, front office, and everything. In case the Vikings’ hope doesn’t work out, rest assured, the Steelers have the ball in their court already. And what about Jaxson Dart? That remains a mystery that they would happily give up.