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By Gavino Borquez
Contributing Sports Writer
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Up to this point in the pre-draft, it has seemed that only two quarterbacks would be taken in the top 10, let alone the first round of the 2025 NFL draft.
But ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. sees another signal-caller crashing the party. In his latest projection, Kiper has the Saints taking Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart with the No. 9 overall selection.
"I'm hearing more and more first-round buzz on Dart, and New Orleans seems like a good fit. He wouldn't be forced to play right away and could learn behind Carr. This team still has a lot of roster-building decisions to make, but getting the QB of the future now does make some sense," Kiper wrote.
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Before Dart came off the board, the Titans selected Miami's Cam Ward with the first pick, and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders went to the Giants with the third pick.
History shows that teams are not afraid to take a quarterback earlier than the consensus believes if they feel he can be a franchise player (see last year with Michael Penix going to the Falcons at No. 8 overall).
After restructuring his contract, the Saints are rolling with Derek Carr as their starting quarterback into the 2025 season. However, New Orleans has to start thinking about the future, and head coach Kellen Moore could strongly consider developing one now to take the reins in 2026.
Dart has the required skill set to be a starting NFL quarterback, possessing good accuracy, arm strength from different arm angles, and overall mobility to serve as a threat on the ground. But his anticipation and processing are still a work in progress and he doesn't come from a pro-style system.
But by sitting behind and learning from Carr, Dart could improve his game, get acclimated to the NFL, and give Moore a capable signal-caller for years to come.
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