Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart will not be at the 2025 NFL Draft when his name is called. Dart — who was originally expected to attend the event — apparently changed his mind about that decision with the draft just around the corner, according to ESPN.
Dart was initially listed as one of the 17 players attending the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay. The NFL put out an updated list of attendees Thursday, and two players — Dart and Georgia pass rusher Mykel Williams — were no longer on the list. Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston was a new addition, meaning a total of 16 players will be at the 2025 NFL Draft.
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No reason was given for Dart’s decision to pull out of the event. The prospects who attend the draft are typically players expected to go in the first round. That appears to be the case again this year, as a number of the prospects attending the draft are listed as top-32 prospects on Yahoo Sports’ big board.
Only two players on the list of updated attendees fall outside Yahoo Sports’ top-32, Hairston and Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe. Hairston ranks 55 on Yahoo Sports’ big board. Milroe ranks 69th.
Dart, meanwhile, ranks 70th on that list. If he did attend the 2025 NFL Draft, he would have been the lowest-ranked Yahoo Sports prospect at the event.
That doesn’t necessarily mean much. Quarterbacks tend to get pushed up in the NFL Draft, and it’s likely Dart and Milroe both go higher than anticipated during the event.
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For Dart, however, taking his name off the list of attendees could signal that he isn’t going as early as he expected. Prospects who attend the draft run the risk of increased scrutiny and attention if they unexpectedly fall on draft boards. Aaron Rodgers and Brady Quinn are two of the best examples of that phenomenon. Both players fell much farther than expected during the NFL Draft, and sad shots of them waiting in the green room dominated the conversation on draft night. It’s possible Dart wanted to avoid that situation, and decided he was better off enjoying his moment elsewhere.
It’s also possible Dart had other reasons for declining the event. Maybe he simply wanted to be surrounded by friends and family? We don’t know. His decision doesn’t necessarily have to do with his draft stock.
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After throwing for 29 touchdowns, 6 interceptions and an SEC-leading 4,279 yards, Dart will hear his name called during the 2025 NFL Draft. While there are questions about how he’ll transition to the league, Dart has quality traits. That should be enough to entice certain general managers, especially those who can afford to let Dart sit behind a quality veteran for a season while he adjusts to the NFL.
It doesn’t really matter where Dart is when that call comes. It will be a special moment for him regardless of his location.
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