jalen-milroe.jpg
Getty Images

Jalen Milroe enters the 2025 NFL Draft as one of the most difficult quarterback evaluations. A four-star recruit who comes from a military background, Milroe chose Alabama over offers from Texas, Florida and Oregon and spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons as a backup quarterback to future No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young. Milroe took over as the Alabama starting quarterback in 2023 and immediately led them to an SEC Championship and College Football Playoff berth.

Then, Milroe was forced to learn a new offensive system -- much different from the one he played in 2023 -- when Kaleb DeBoer came over as head coach from Washington after Nick Saban's retirement. Milroe took his lumps in a new system, but his best tape (defeating Georgia) rivals that of any quarterback in this class. 

The expectation in some NFL circles is that Milroe will be best served sitting and learning for at least one but possibly more seasons at the NFL level. Some have suggested he follow a path similar to Jalen Hurts. However, as NFL offenses continue to evolve, there may be a coordinator or coach who installs a system to fit Milroe's skill set.

What makes Milroe such an interesting prospect is that he has arm talent and is the most electric runner with the football at the quarterback position that I've watched on college All-22 film since Lamar Jackson. While Milroe isn't as elusive as Jackson, there are plenty of examples of him making defenders miss in a phone booth. When it comes to acceleration and raw speed in the open field, Milroe edges Jackson. He's that explosive. 

From an arm talent standpoint, Milroe can make all the throws and thrives in the vertical plane on throws that travel 40-plus yards in the air. In 2024 while working with DeBoer, Milroe had a 95.8 PFF passing grade on passes that traveled 40-plus in the air -- the best mark in the entire draft class. It's the lay-up throws that give Milroe the most trouble -- short throws around the line of scrimmage, quick game concepts and timing-based route combinations (specifically in-breakers). 

Without being able to consistently hit the lay-up throws, Milroe could struggle to stay on the field at the NFL level. Any team that drafts him is taking that gamble and believing it can coach him to achieve a level of consistency he hasn't found just yet.

Jalen Milroe NFL Draft profile

player headshot
Jalen Milroe
BAMA • QB • #4
View Profile
  • Age as of Week 1: 23
  • Height: 6-foot-1 ⅞
  • Weight: 217 pounds
  • Hand size: 9 ⅜ inches
  • 40-yard dash time: 4.37 seconds (unofficial from Alabama's Pro Day)
  • Comparable body-type to: Shorter Justin Fields

CBS prospect ranking

Position: No. 6 QB | Overall: No. 118

Consensus big board ranking (via NFL Mock Draft Database): No. 59 (No. 4 QB)

To check out all of CBSSports.com's most recent mock drafts, click here.

NFL comparison: Tyrod Taylor

player headshot
Tyrod Taylor
NYJ • QB • #2
CMP%77.3
YDs119
TD3
INT0
YD/Att5.41
View Profile

There is no perfect comparison for Milroe because of his combination of speed, explosiveness, elusiveness and power as a runner and his explosive release as a thrower. However, Tyrod Taylor is another quarterback who generates throwing power in a similar fashion to Milroe with a similar release. Taylor is not the runner Milroe is and never was, but he was an effective rusher coming out of Virginia Tech. Think of Milroe as a faster and more explosive version of Taylor, but a less accurate thrower of the football in all areas of the field -- specifically the shorter throws.

NFL landing spots

By Garrett Podell

  • New Orleans Saints: The Saints are cuffed to Derek Carr for his age-34 season. However, his contract runs out of guaranteed money in 2026, the last season of his four-year, $150 million contract. Releasing Carr after the upcoming season could save New Orleans $32.8 million in cap space. Carr and the Saints are together for better or worse this year, but they could pave the way for Milroe in 2026 with Carr's cap hit set to balloon to $61.5 million. 
  • Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins have some high level offensive pieces in former All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill, former first-round receiver Jaylen Waddle and running back De'Von Achane. However, they desperately need more durability and big plays from the quarterback position. Milroe could develop under Mike McDaniel's guidance from the sidelines in 2025, and then there's a chance he could replace Tua Tagovailoa as the Dolphins' starting quarterback in 2026 or 2027.

  • Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers are still chasing a veteran quarterback, but regardless if they land Aaron Rodgers or bring back Russell Wilson or sign someone else, they need a long-term solution. That could make Pittsburgh an okay place for Milroe to begin his NFL journey, and he'll have plenty of playmakers to throw to after the Steelers traded for DK Metcalf.

Jalen Milroe NFL Draft landing spots: Ranking five best fits for Alabama dual-threat QB
Garrett Podell
Jalen Milroe NFL Draft landing spots: Ranking five best fits for Alabama dual-threat QB

Jalen Milroe scouting report

Accolades

  • Career: Ranked top five in school history in total yards (7,593), total yards per game (199.8) and total touchdowns (78)
  • 2023-24: Two-time team captain
  • 2024: William V. Campbell Trophy winner (best combination of academics, community service and on-field performance in the nation)
  • 2024: 20 rushing touchdowns ranked second in FBS by a QB and tied for fourth-most in program history
  • 2023 (vs. Georgia): SEC Championship Game MVP (192 yards and two touchdowns passing)
  • 2023: Second-team All-SEC
  • 2023: Fifth in FBS in passer efficiency rating (172.2)

Strengths

  • There is no need to bury the lede -- Milroe's biggest strength is his rushing ability. He was once tracked as running faster on GPS than Jahmyr Gibbs when they were teammates at Alabama. Yes, you read that right. He eliminates angles to the sideline, beating second and third level defenders with a step on him to start and he can also make defenders miss in tight areas.
  • Milroe's top speed and acceleration is really where he defines himself vs. any quarterback to enter the NFL. He clocked a 22-mile-per-hour top speed on a long run against Arkansas in 2024.
  • Arm talent is not an issue for Milroe as he is able to make throws to all three levels of the field with plus velocity. 
  • Where his arm talent shows up the most is on passes 40-plus yards down the field (he combines touch and power on these) and in his ability to hit out-breaking routes toward the sidelines with velocity and touch. However, it is important to note that he is not consistent with his ball placement on these routes, specifically at the intermediate level.
  • Milroe showed improvement as a pure passer in 2024 both in processing pre-to-post snap and in his ball placement/timing of his throws. However, it's important to note that neither is a strength of his...yet. Still worth noting that he has made linear progression in both key traits. 
  • Milroe is efficient with his release -- he snaps the ball in an explosive fashion (most similar to Tyrod Taylor) and this leads to fewer batted passes, strip sacks and should ultimately help him with timing.
  • Toughness is not an issue with Milroe as Alabama ran concepts like quarterback bash. He stood tall and took hits before delivering the football in the pocket as well.
  • No major injury history.
  • Highly regarded from a football character standpoint. Milroe is loved by his coaches and teammates and would bring that first in the building and last out of the building approach to an NFL locker room.
  • Racked up over 500 total yards and four touchdowns against Kirby Smart's dominant Georgia defense in 2024 -- a high point for his individual collegiate career.
  • Milroe displays better ball placement and accuracy when throwing outside the numbers than inside the numbers. Some of his best reps are on out-breaking routes and back-shoulder opportunities. 
  • Poised when working in a muddy pocket -- not afraid to deliver the ball when pass rushers are closing in.
  • 33 rushing touchdowns in his career provides a blueprint for how he can be a weapon in the red zone for NFL teams. 
  • 2024 passing stats would've been better if not for a slew of dropped passes from his receivers.
  • Can make all of the throws outside of structure, specifically when he breaks the pocket to his right. 
  • DeBoer's system is not the best fit for his skill set. He may be more productive (projection) with a different coach.

Concerns

  • Struggles with the routine throws, specifically on in-breaking routes over the middle of the field in the 1-to-15-yard range. 
  • Struggles with processing pre-to-post snap and often times needs to see a wide receiver open before throwing him the football.
  • In a confined area (the red zone), Milroe struggles with changing pace, trajectory and speed on his passes, and he has been ineffective as a passer in this area. He completed less than 50% of his passes in the red zone.
  • One-speed thrower with the exception of throws that travel 20-plus yards in the air (where he displays exceptional touch) make him a confusing evaluation from an arm talent standpoint.
  • One of the least accurate throwers in the class on passes that travel 1 to 10 yards, which makes it difficult to project him to an NFL system because every system relies to some degree on timing, rhythmic throwing and quick game concepts.  His rate of uncatchable passes thrown in that area was 30.1%, fourth lowest among draft-eligible quarterbacks, per Pro Football Focus.
  • Despite being an excellent athlete, Milroe is not excellent at navigating the pocket and takes too many sacks. Even examples of Milroe not reading where to go with a hot route on free blitzers are common to see on his tape.

Bottom line

Milroe will need time to develop and may never provide the accuracy, timing and processing speed to operate a West Coast offense -- or any system that relies on rhythm. However, in a power-gap dominant run scheme that relies on play action and vertical passes down the field (think the old Bruce Arians style offense), he can be evolve into a plus starter. The Eagles have taken a similar path with Jalen Hurts and that is a system that would fit his skill set. The Colts also come to mind as a team that can draft and develop him behind Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones.

What other draft experts say about Jalen Milroe

Josh Edwards: I have issues projecting Milroe to be an NFL quarterback based on what he showed in his final season with the Crimson Tide. A dynamic runner, no doubt, Milroe showed improved footwork at the NFL Scouting Combine to the point teams may want to dive deeper into his pre-draft process to ascertain what levels he is still capable of reaching. If his capabilities as a passer become much more consistent, then he's a potential top-10 quarterback in the NFL. Based on the film, I would say he begins his career as a backup and may never reach higher heights, but the risk-reward potential is very high.

Chris Trapasso: Jalen Milroe is a sturdy, decently sized QB with explosive athletic traits and ascending skills as a passer. He's still reasonably raw throwing from in the pocket -- processing coverages a tick late and not always trusting what he sees -- and his accuracy is not yet consistent enough to be a reliable. As a runner, Milroe absolutely has designed-run capability. He will instantly be one of the fastest QBs in the NFL and can juke like a WR in space. Everything about his game is trending in the right direction, but he's not quite a finished product right now.

Jalen Milroe pro day takeaways: What we can learn from Alabama QB's performance ahead of 2025 NFL Draft
Josh Edwards
Jalen Milroe pro day takeaways: What we can learn from Alabama QB's performance ahead of 2025 NFL Draft

Jalen Milroe college stats

YearGComp%YdsYds/attTDINT

2024

13

64.3%

2844

8.9

16

11

2023

13

65.8%

2834

10.0

23

6

The 2025 NFL Draft is to take place from April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including the weekly mock drafts and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects. 

Jalen Milroe 247Sports profile

High school: Tompkins (Katy, Texas)
Class: 2021
Composite rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (94)

  • Overall: 109 | QB: 14 | TX: 18

High school accolades

  • 2019 (junior): District 19-6A Overall MVP
  • 2018 (sophomore): District 19-6A Newcomer of the Year

Check out Cam Ward's full 247Sports profile, here. For his MaxPreps profile, click here.