Seahawks meet with a top QB prospect at NFL combine

Based on what head coach Mike Macdonald and general manager John Schneider have said publicly this offseason, it seems increasingly likely that Geno Smith will remain the Seattle Seahawks’ quarterback in 2025.

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But even if the two sides agree to a contract extension, the Seahawks could still look to April’s NFL Draft for a potential quarterback of the future to grow and develop behind Smith.

And it appears there’s at least one QB on the team’s radar.

During a press conference Friday at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart confirmed that he’s met with the Seahawks. NFL teams are limited to 45 formal interviews at the combine, so that seems to indicate Seattle has at least some interest in the 21-year-old signal caller.

Dart also said he’s met with the Las Vegas Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers.

“For the Seahawks, it’s been great to build a relationship with them,” Dart said. “They have an elite coaching staff and have a ton of talent on their team, so it’s been a lot of fun sitting and talking ball.”

Most draft experts project Dart as a late first-round or early second-round pick. He’s generally regarded as the third-best quarterback in a weak QB draft class – or in other words, the next-best QB behind projected top-five picks Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders.

The Seahawks have a first-round pick at No. 18 overall and a second-round pick at No. 50.

The Raiders have a first-round pick at No. 6 overall and a second-rounder at No. 37, while the Steelers have a first-rounder at No. 21 and a second-rounder at No. 52.

After beginning his college career at USC, Dart transferred to Ole Miss in 2022 and broke Eli Manning’s school record with 10,617 passing yards over his three seasons with the Rebels.

Dart steadily progressed over his three years in the SEC, culminating in a standout senior campaign this past fall. The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder completed 69.3% of his passes for 4,279 yards, 29 touchdowns and six interceptions, while also showcasing his dual-threat ability with 495 rushing yards and three scores. He led the FBS with a 180.7 passer rating and ranked third in passing yards per game, fourth in ESPN’s QBR metric and ninth in completion rate.

Dart’s biggest performance came in a rout of Arkansas this past November, when he threw for a school-record 515 yards and six TDs. He also threw for 404 yards and four TDs in a Gator Bowl rout of Duke on Jan. 2. He went 29-10 as Ole Miss’ starting quarterback, including 10-3 this past season.

A BEAUTY of a throw from Jaxson Dart for the TD 🤩 pic.twitter.com/z14x73dNLd

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) January 3, 2025

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