2025 NFL Draft Mailbag: How Jaxson Dart fits into an underwhelming quarterback class, and the curious case of Jihaad Campbell
The 2025 NFL Draft class promises to be a very volatile one. On a quick glance, it appears to be a pretty underwhelming class, at least on the surface level. The biggest sell to the group is the depth, especially at several defensive positions. In order to get you ready for the 2025 class, and […]
The 2025 NFL Draft class promises to be a very volatile one. On a quick glance, it appears to be a pretty underwhelming class, at least on the surface level. The biggest sell to the group is the depth, especially at several defensive positions.
In order to get you ready for the 2025 class, and get through the rest of the college football playoffs, I started a mailbag feature each and every week. The questions were left to the readers, and got several good ones this week. Here are a couple of those top questions.
Jaxson Dart and his place in the 2025 class
Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart is a very interesting player. He has good size for the position (6020v, 217v), and is a tremendous athlete. For people that don’t know, he was actually recruited by Utah as a safety early on. I expect him to run a 40-yard dash time that could shock some people. Dart has also been very productive this season, throwing for 3.875 yards and 25 touchdowns, adding another 452 yards and three scores on the ground.
There is so much to like about Dart but here’s the main hangup, his arm is below average for NFL standards. Dart throws a beautiful deep ball but struggles to drive the football to the intermediate portion of the football field. That will limit his overall upside for the next level. Still, I would draft him for sure early on day three (somewhere around the fourth round). I would also consider him in the back end of the top 100 for a good situation. He should, at worst, be a high-end backup.
The curious projection of Jihaad Campbell
This linebacker class is very underwhelming this year, but Alabama standout Jihaad Campbell is in the running to be the first one off of the board. The big reason for that is Campbell’s athletic skill and upside. At 6-3 and 244 pounds, Campbell is a tremendous mover at the position. It’s even more intriguing when you consider that Campbell was viewed by some as an EDGE player coming out of high school.
Campbell is also still super young, only 20 years old currently. He’s coming off of a very productive season this fall, finishing the season with 106 total tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, and five sacks. The New Jersey native has also recorded an interception, broken up three passes, and forced two fumbles.
I am, however, still very hot and cold with Campbell. I see all of the athletic traits, and I am hopeful for the future. Campbell just has very little nuance at the position right now. His eyes go to the wrong spots way too often, and Campbell has issues playing at the point of attack. There is just going to be a huge learning curve, and I’m worried he might be overdrafted and fed to the wolves too quickly.
Looking back at the 2024 NFL Draft class
Without going deep into research, the offensive class is one of the best that I can remember. Obviously, it starts with quarterbacks, and that class looks very good right now. Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders) has mostly been fantastic, and both Bo Nix (Denver Broncos) and Drake Maye (New England Patriots) have all had great moments. Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears) has also been a lot better than people want to give him credit for.
The pass catchers have also been tremendous. Wide receivers Brian Thomas Jr. (Jacksonville Jaguars) and Malik Nabers (New York Giants), as well as tight end Brock Bowers (Las Vegas Raiders) have each gone for over 1,000 yards receiving this season. Marvin Harrison Jr. (Arizona Cardinals) has also been tremendous at times this fall as well.
Running back hasn’t been a great class, but there have been great values in the class like fourth-rounder Bucky Irving, who went for 1,000 rushing yards for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Several offensive linemen have also already earned substantial starting experience, including left tackle Joe Alt (Los Angeles Chargers), who has played at a Pro Bowl level already.
Classes ultimately aren’t defined after one season, but the 2024 offensive group certainly looks tremendous. It could be setting the groundwork for the next wave of NFL stars. They are off to a fast start.
Kentucky CB Maxwell Hairston 2025 NFL Draft Profile
Scouting report for Kentucky CB Maxwell Hairston
