As Ed mentioned earlier within the week, it’s no shock that Jaxson Dart was his selection as a very powerful Big coming into the 2026 season. In that publish Ed referenced a movie examine by Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic about Dart’s execs and cons. This week Professional Soccer Focus launched their 2026 NFL QB Annual, which supplies a ton of superior stats for each QB within the league who performed at the very least 200 dropbacks and permits us to match Dart to his opponents.
You don’t want PFF to let you know that Dart was an enormous asset working the ball, whether or not by scrambling or designed runs. He was 4th within the NFL amongst QBs in speeding yards, third in speeding TDs, 1st in designed speeding yards, seventh in yards after contact, and 2nd in breakaway runs. The one problem with Dart’s working is whether or not he can maintain himself on the sphere doing it. The massive query for Dart’s profession is whether or not he can grow to be an elite NFL passer.
Let’s take a look at a number of of the salient numbers for Dart’s 2025 passing. For the file, Dart was thirty third in PFF’s despised (by BBV readers) QB passing grade with a really common 64.2 grade. That put him simply behind Baker Mayfield and simply above C.J. Stroud. Dart completed the season with a really impartial +0.04 anticipated factors added (EPA) per dropback, slightly below the league common of +0.05.
That mentioned, placing apart the roughly 2/3 of throws an NFL QB must be anticipated to make (graded zero), 15.6% of Dart’s throws have been graded unhealthy (negatively) whereas 21.9% have been graded positively, i.e., he was a internet plus as a passer.
This was one of many bugaboos about Dart. He led the NFL through the common season in variety of pressures that PFF judged have been his personal fault. It’s fascinating to have a look at the place his pressures got here from:
Courtesy of Professional Soccer Focus
Dart by himself was chargeable for virtually 2/3 as many pressures as his offensive line was collectively. Chances are you’ll be shocked to see left deal with as the most important OL strain perpetrator. That’s not the fault of Andrew Thomas, who solely surrendered 13 pressures all season (6 towards the Eagles in 2 video games). The remainder have been by Marcus Mbow and James Hudson.
That mentioned, Dart was in some good firm. Dart’s league-leading 50 allowed pressures have been adopted by Patrick Mahomes (44) and Drake Maye (43).
No QB desires to face strain, however some are higher at it than others:
Courtesy of Professional Soccer Focus
Dart was predictably worse underneath strain than with a clear pocket. Nonetheless, his 71.1 passing grade when saved clear was among the many lowest amongst beginning QBs, whereas his 51.6 underneath strain, whereas decrease, was within the mid-range of NFL starters. Dart’s EPA/dropback from a clear pocket was +0.33, whereas solely -0.33 underneath strain.
Dart was unaffected by blitzes (64.2 when blitzed, 63.2 when not).
QB play design and alignment
Dart doesn’t like play-action:
Courtesy of Professional Soccer Focus
That’s an enormous drop-off when he’s requested to execute play-action. Whether or not he doesn’t do it convincingly, or the second-plus during which he has his again to the protection rattles him, Dart was downright unhealthy final 12 months when utilizing play-action.
A few of this can be on account of his having performed principally from the shotgun in school:
Coourtesy of Prp Soccer Focus
That mentioned, Dart was thirtieth ranked within the NFL each when underneath heart and when within the shotgun. The Giants had him within the shotgun 87% of the time, underneath heart solely 10%, and within the pistol alignment 2%.
Courtesy of Professional Soccer Focus
Dart, like most QBs, was at his greatest when his first learn was open, with a PFF passing grade of 65.5, however that was solely thirty first amongst 43 qualifying QBs. He was barely worse when he needed to go off-script and test it down or scramble to bide time to get an open receiver, however he ranked center of the pack in these conditions. He solely had a 50.3 passing grade when he needed to progress to his 2nd or third learn, nonetheless. Maybe it says one thing in regards to the Brian Daboll – Mike Kafka offense that Dart was in a position to go to his first learn 301 occasions vs. solely 48 occasions to his subsequent learn.
Talking of studying defenses, right here’s how Dart was affected by the defensive shell:
Courtesy of Professional Soccer Focus
There’s a purpose why the Vic Fangio-inspired two-high security shells have grow to be all the craze within the NFL (and therefore why working the ball has staged one thing of a comeback). Dart carried out considerably higher, in each absolute PFF grade and rank amongst his friends, towards single-high security seems than towards two-high. He’s not alone – Matthew Stafford, Joe Burrow, and Dak Prescott, amongst a pattern of elite QBs I checked out, all fared worst towards 2-high security alignments. There are QBs resembling Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, although, who did greatest towards 2-high.
Dart noticed Cowl-3 greater than some other protection (109 makes an attempt) and graded 81.0 towards it. He was worst towards quarters, grading solely 40.1 in 61 makes an attempt.
There’s good and unhealthy within the accuracy of Dart’s throws final 12 months. Right here’s the breakdown together with a schematic diagram exhibiting how PFF defines an correct vs. in correct throw:
Courtesy of Professional Fottball Focus
Dart was within the decrease half of the NFL in correct throws of assorted levels. On the plus facet, he was within the higher half (i.e. the higher half) in uncatchable and inaccurate throws. Right here’s why he missed throws:
Courtesy of Professional Soccer Focus
Solely about 40% of his incompletions have been on account of good opposing protection. It’s fascinating that the second main trigger (19.8%) of incompletions for Dart final season was “receiver error.” 23.7% have been Dart’s personal fault, throwing too lengthy, too quick, forward of, or behind the receiver. I appeared up a handful of one of the best QBs within the NFL final 12 months, and all however Dak Prescott had a noticeably decrease share of receiver-caused incompletions.
No QB likes strain, however some do higher in these conditions than others. Dart’s stats underneath strain (37% of his dropbacks) present some fascinating contradictions:
Courtesy of Professional Soccer Focus
It’s dog-bites-man to notice that Dart’s adjusted completion price (adjusted for components exterior the QB’s management resembling drops), EPA/dropback, turnover-worthy play price, and sack price have been all higher when he was saved clear. The person-bites-dog facet is that his big-time throw price was 3 times higher underneath strain than when saved clear.
Courtesy of Professional Soccer Focus
It’s been mentioned that Dart must work on his footwork to enhance his deep ball accuracy. The stats from final season bear that out to some extent. Dart was correct on passes of 20+ yards to the correct facet of the sphere extra usually than the league common, however beneath common in deep cross accuracy to the left facet. On the whole he was correct on intermediate depth passes however beneath common within the quick recreation. On the whole, he was greatest (highest PFF grade) on nook, publish, hitch, and in routes, and least correct on go routes and out routes:
Courtesy of Professional Soccer Focus
On go routes particularly, Dart was only one for 12.
