Jalen Milroe's long wait came to an end on Friday night in the 3rd Round with the Seattle Seahawks selecting the polarizing Alabama QB with the 92nd overall pick.
Milroe didn't get his moment with the commissioner in the 1st Round where he was present in the green room with Tide teammates Tyler Booker and Jihaad Campbell, but the landing spot in Seattle is the perfect kind of spot for him to learn and grow.
Milroe needed to find a landing spot where he wasn't going to have the pressure to play right away. The Seahawks signed Sam Darnold to a 3-year contract worth over $100 million this offseason. Darnold is the unquestioned QB1 in Seattle. However, Darnold's contract is effectively just a one-year deal worth $37.5 million, meaning the Seahawks can dump Darnold after a year and turn the keys over to Milroe if things go awry.
Milroe won't be ready to be a day-one starter, and he won't be asked to be. But Seattle will undoubtedly install a "Milroe package" for next season, and he'll see some snaps to get his athleticism on the field. He's one of the best players in this draft class with the ball in his hands, and that skill is too valuable to leave on the bench all year long.
Landing in Seattle is perfect for his development. There's no pressure to be the guy right away, but he'll likely still see playing time. He'll be able to learn and develop from a QB in Darnold who has been around the block, bouncing back from being labeled an NFL Draft bust to having a terrific season with the Vikings last season and parlaying that into a big contract with the Seahawks.
Alabama legend Shaun Alexander made the announcement of Milroe's selection by Seattle
It was fitting that Alabama and Seahawks legend Shaun Alexander made the announcement of Milroe being selected by Seattle:
Alexander starred at Alabama from 1996-1999 and was drafted by the Seahawks in the 1st Round back in 2000. Alexander rushed for over 9400 yards in eight seasons with Seattle and won the 2005 NFL MVP Award with a monster season that included 1880 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns.
Milroe will look to become the next Alabama great to strike it big with the Seahawks. With patience, Milroe could become the steal of this draft class. He has all the potential in the world to develop into a star: landing with the Seahawks will allow him the time to develop into a starting-caliber NFL QB.