Do Steelers have rookie QB other than Jalen Milroe in mind?

Rumblings emerged during the second half of March that the Pittsburgh Steelers could make Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe the 21st overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft even if the club signs veteran Aaron Rodgers.

However, ESPN's Field Yates predicted in his latest mock draft published on Wednesday that Pittsburgh will take Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart instead of Milroe at selection No. 21. 

"Dart broke Eli Manning's school record at Ole Miss for passing yards (4,279) and led the FBS in yards per attempt (10.8) in 2024," Yates wrote. "He has good mobility and accuracy, throwing 52 touchdowns and 11 interceptions over the past two seasons."

Dart's draft stock has reportedly skyrocketed since the NFL Scouting Combine, so much so that some teams now view him rather than Colorado's Shedeur Sanders as the second-best quarterback in this year's class behind Miami's Cam Ward. Many reporters nevertheless remain convinced the New York Giants will take Sanders with the draft's third pick. The Las Vegas Raiders (pick No. 6), New York Jets (No. 7), New Orleans Saints (No. 9) and Indianapolis Colts (No. 14) are among other potential landing spots for Sanders. 

Meanwhile, The Athletic's Bruce Feldman shared on Wednesday that he also thinks Pittsburgh will grab Dart over Milroe at pick No. 21, "based on all the intel I’ve gathered from speaking to dozens of college coaches and NFL sources during the past two months."

"I believe the Steelers are intrigued enough by Dart’s makeup and his physical talent to take him," Feldman said. "The 6-2, 223-pounder has played a lot of football and faced some really good defenses in his college career. The biggest compliment rival coaches will give him is that he’s probably as tough as any QB they’ve faced in recent years and that they think he’s a good leader because they could see teammates wanting to play for him."

In his updated draft prospect rankings published on Wednesday, NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah listed Dart as the third-best quarterback in his class. 

"Dart is still a work in progress," Jeremiah said, "but he possesses starter traits, and his competitiveness will endear him to his teammates."

The Steelers already have Mason Rudolph as a potential primary backup for Rodgers, meaning they could stash Dart on the roster as an unused QB3 until 2026. It remains to be seen if head coach Mike Tomlin and others within the organization like Dart enough to trade up for him if it looks like the Ole Miss star won't fall to the 21st pick on the night of April 24.