Jaxson Dart reportedly put on a show in Oxford, Mississippi, at his pro day on Friday. However, who was not there to watch for the Pittsburgh Steelers might just be as important as who was there. The team sent assistant general manager Andy Weidl, scout Ike Taylor, and wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni.
Notably, neither Mike Tomlin nor Omar Khan was at the event, a canary in the coal mine for the team’s interest in first-round prospects.
While this does not rule out Dart, who will reportedly come to Pittsburgh for a pre-draft visit before April’s NFL Draft, it does signal that they might not be all-in on taking the Ole Miss signal-caller in the first round.
The Steelers broke precedent a year ago when they selected Troy Fautanu in the first round without sending Tomlin and Khan to his pro day. However, offensive line coach Pat Meyer traveled there, and Tomlin got intel from former Washington-and-then Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer in Tuscaloosa during their pro day.
On top of that, area scout Mark Bruener has a son, Carson, on the Washington team and has deep connections inside the team.
All that is to say, while Fautanu did break the model, there are still signs the Steelers have a treasure trove of information at their disposal. It is not quite the same with Dart.
Pittsburgh might like Dart, but by not sending Tomlin and Khan to his pro day, they seem to be sending the message that taking him at 21st overall is far less likely than it would have been had they gone to Oxford for his workout.
Tomlin and Khan would want to be there, especially for a position such as quarterback. They extensively scouted quarterbacks when they took Kenny Pickett in 2022, hitting the pro day trail for each top prospect.
Without that same signal toward Dart, the Steelers seem less likely than before to take Dart. The same goes for the defensive line prospects, too, as they did not go see Walter Nolen, Kenneth Grant, or Derrick Harmon at their pro days.
Either way, Dart and the Steelers will be talked about for the next month because it is an obvious connection. Yet, if they pass on him at 21st overall and he is on the board, the signs will be right in front of everyone.
