Derek Carr Shoulder Injury: Can Jaxson Dart Save Chris Olave & The Saints?
Sometimes the top of the NFL Draft is straightforward. Last year we felt confident that Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye would be the first three picks. That’s not the case for the 2025 NFL Draft. After Cam Ward to the Tennessee Titans with the first overall pick, everything is up in the air.
And, as we pointed out in our NFL Draft News and Rumors series, Jaxson Dart has been a hot name throughout the process. At this stage many view him as a first round pick. And I personally believe he could be a top 10 selection, with him going to the New Orleans Saints with pick 9 in my mock draft.
Let’s take a moment to look at his pre-draft journey, the teams in play for him, and what impact he might have on the Saints if they take him. With Derek Carr dealing with a shoulder injury, there could be room for him to potentially start right away.
With weapons like Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and Alvin Kamara, that presents a big opportunity. And, as the Saints Now show and others have pointed out on social media, Chris Olave at least looks ready after bulking up this offseason.
The Fall & Rise of Jaxson Dart in Mock Drafts
Per Pro Football Focus, which attempts to track mock draft trends regarding players, it has been a rollercoaster ride for Dart over the last calendar year. Over the summer he was clearly a top 100 pick with his ADP in August/September squarely in the second round.
During the 2024 collegiate season his stock plummeted to the point where he was going outside the top 200 picks in many mocks in December. Dart has certainly done himself a lot of favors throughout the pre-draft process as his stock has slowly climbed based on their metrics. Around the combine in February he made a big jump from outside the top 200 back up towards the top 100.
As of the past week or so, his ADP is now squarely in the first round sitting around pick ~20. Some, like myself, have him going earlier while others think he could be a guy that teams trade back up into the first to take. But one thing is clear - most now view him as a first round pick. And some suggest that he could not go ahead of Shedeur Sanders.
Jaxson Dart Team Possibilities: Saints, Gians, Rams, Steelers, Browns, Raiders
It was originally reported that Dart spent extensive time with the Saints, Giants, and Rams during his combine and Pro Day. Since then he has also taken top 30 visits with the Browns, the Steelers, and the Raiders. The Browns and Giants, of course, pick at 2 and 3. The Saints pick at 9, the Steelers pick at 21, and the Rams pick at 26.
Many are mocking Dart to the Steelers with the 21st pick. When you look at the part of the draft, they are really the only team in that range that doesn’t have a quarterback slotted in so it’s natural for mock drafts to default to that. That’s especially true for the folks that don’t include trades in their mock drafts.
Given the recent steam for Dart, I don’t think he lasts until pick 21. It’s been reported that the Saints like Dart and Mike Kiper Jr. specifically said that new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is a big fan. If you are looking for the “default” spot for Dart to land, I think it’s closer to the top 10-15 as of late than it is to 20+.
Jaxson Dart Impact on Chris Olave & the New Orleans Saints
Ideally, you would have the 21-year-old Dart sit and learn behind Derek Carr for a bit. Regardless of whether you believe that Derek Carr is capable of winning a Super Bowl, he’s at least a seasoned veteran and professional that can help a young quarterback learn.
It’s easy to forget that Patrick Mahomes sat behind Alex Smith for a year which Andy Reid said helped Mahomes evolve. Mahomes himself has said Smith taught him “how a professional quarterback goes about his business.
That said, a new report has surfaced that Derek Carr is dealing with a shoulder issue. And while it’s easy to dismiss injury news in April, some are saying it actually might put his 2025 season in jeopardy. Carr’s camp admits that there is an issue stemming from an AC joint sprain in 2023 that never fully healed.
What does this all mean? Well, if the Saints don’t draft Jaxson Dart or another high caliber quarterback, they are looking at starting options like Spencer Rattler or Jake Haener - guys we saw less than ideal results from in 2024.
For the sake of Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and Alvin Kamara - both now and for the future - I’m hoping the Saints are taking a serious look at quarterback with the 9th overall pick. And Jaxson Dart is starting to feel like the perfect candidate.
Player News
Dolphins signed No. 13 overall pick DT Kenneth Grant to a four-year contract.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Grant will sign his contract today. The former Michigan defensive tackle is expected to fill a major void left by Christian Wilkins, who left for the Raiders in the 2024 offseason. Grant totaled 32 tackles, three sacks, and seven TFLs in his final season at Michigan and excelled at stopping the run while also generating 27 pressures in his final season, per PFF.
Beat reporter John Hendrix reports that free agent WR Donovan Peoples-Jones is among the 16 players that the Saints will host for their rookie minicamp.
Peoples-Jones last played regular season snaps with the Lions back in 2023, when he caught 13-of-24 targets for 155 yards. He is highly unlikely to return to fantasy relevance at this point but could perhaps sign on as a special teams contributor.
Titans signed fourth-round pick WR Elic Ayomanor to a four-year contract.
Ayomanor will now begin learning behind Calvin Ridley. Although Ayomanor is unlikely to find a meaningful role in year one, dynasty managers should note his status as training camp gets underway this summer. The former Stanford receiver flashed big-play ability in his two college seasons.
Buccaneers signed seventh-round pick WR Tez Johnson to a four-year contract.
Johnson will serve as a rotational deep-threat option for Baker Mayfield. His thin frame (5'10/154) simply does not lend itself to the repeated hits one incurs in a full-time role. Johnson did earn 100-plus targets in his two seasons at Oregon, though. His big-play style make him a better fit in best ball for now, pending any major on-field breakthroughs.
Giants waived DT Casey Rogers.
Rogers was a 2024 undrafted free agent and logged 33 defensive snaps for the Giants in his rookie season. He is credited with zero tackles and/or sacks. He may find his way onto another roster as a practice squad option.
Vikings signed third-round pick WR Tai Felton to a four-year contract.
Felton is quietly in play to challenge Vikings No. 3 WR Jalen Nailor in training camp. Nailor (5'11/190) caught 28-of-42 targets for 414 yards and six touchdowns in his first season as a starter last year, with the latter category buoying his fantasy productivity. Felton (6'1/183), meanwhile, caught 96-of-143 targets for 1,119 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 2.32 yards per route run in his final college season. Fantasy managers should monitor Felton’s training camp reports this summer, as he could have a matchup-based WR5 role if everything falls into place.