After an uneventful April last offseason, Ole Miss is expected to have several names highly selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.
How high? Well, it all depends on draft positioning and team needs. Just because one player falls in the draft doesn’t mean they’re a bad player or prospect. Another team could need help at defensive tackle, leading to the No. 9 prospect being drafted over the No. 6 WR.
ESPN analyst Field Yates released his top college players at each position entering this month’s NFL Scouting Combine. Albeit a slight surprise, Ole Miss has four players in his top 10 at each position.
Like many other draft boards, Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart appeared as ESPN’s No. 3 draftable quarterback behind only Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward. Based on his prominent Senior Bowl showing and dominant senior season while leading the Rebels to back-to-back 10-win seasons, Dart has been considered by some as a quarterback who could potentially sneak into the first round.
While the question of Dart’s Day 1 status remains a mystery, there’s no doubt his place in Rebels’ lore is secured. The Utah native is the winningest quarterback in program history while ranking top-three in every passing category. In three seasons, Dart posted a 66 career completion percentage for a program record 10,617 yards (breaking Eli Manning’s record). He also threw 72 touchdown passes against 22 interceptions while posting a total quarterback rating of 162.8.
Known for his mobility, Dart collected 1,498 rushing yards and 12 TDs, averaging four yards per rushing attempt. The senior threw for a program-high 4,279 passing yards and totaled 32 touchdowns against six interceptions, capping off his career with a memorable performance in the Gator Bowl victory over Duke.
Dart might not be a consensus first-round pick, but teammate Walter Nolen seems to be locked in as a Day 1 selection. He appeared as the No. 3 draftable defensive tackle behind only Oregon’s Derrick Harmon and Michigan’s Mason Graham.
After transferring to Oxford following a two-year stay at Texas A&M, Nolen posted career highs in tackles (48), pass deflections (two) and sacks (6.5). Following a 13-game stint with the Rebel Blue, Nolen became Ole Miss’ 14th consensus All-American selection all-time.
Like Dart and Nolen, junior linebacker Chris “Pooh” Paul was ranked as the No. 3 “off-ball” linebacker, behind only UCLA’s Carson Schwesinger and Alabama’s Jihaad Campbell. Paul finished his lone season in Oxford with a team-leading 80 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, three sacks, four pass breakups and nine quarterback hurries.
Kicker Caden Davis rounded out the quartet of bronze finalists as the No. 3 kicker. In two seasons, Davis has made 41-of-51 field goal attempts (80 percent) and was 96-of-98 extra point attempts (97 percent). His two longest kicks came from 56 (2023) and 57 yards (2024) out.
The 2025 NFL Draft is set for April 24-26 and will take place in Green Bay, Wisconsin, at Lambeau Field.
