The NFL Draft starts tonight. Don't be surprised to hear Jalen Milroe's name called in the first round, though most mock drafts see him being selected in the second round. If Milroe is ultimately one of the first 32 players selected, he'll owe that to a couple of players who came before him: Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson.
Hurts and Jackson, like Milroe, were criticized as passers and seen more as athletes rather than quarterbacks. That led to Hurts being selected 53rd overall in the 2nd round and Jackson falling to the end of the first round in their respective draft classes. If you offered teams a redo of those drafts, those guys go significantly higher.
Hurts was the fifth quarterback taken in the 2020 draft, behind Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, and Jordan Love. He probably would have still been taken behind Burrow in hindsight, and maybe Herbert, but that's it. Hurts just led the Eagles to a Super Bowl win, where he was named MVP. Not bad for a guy who even Eagles fans didn't want.
Jackson was the final pick of the first round in 2018. Like Hurts, Jackson was the fifth QB taken, behind Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, and Josh Rosen. The only player who might go before Jackson in a re-draft is Allen.
Could NFL teams be making the same mistake by passing on Milroe? He's the most polarizing player in this draft class, much like Jackson was in his. He's far from a slam dunk, and both Jackson and Hurts were probably further along as passers heading into the NFL than Milroe is right now.
But the skills are there. It's easy to see the vision of what he could become.
Jalen Milroe is the best runner at QB some scouts have evaluated
According to Tom Pelissero with the NFL Network, some scouts have told him that Milroe is the best runner at the QB position they have ever evaluated:
"I had several different people say Jalen Milroe is the best runner [at the QB position] they've ever evaluated on tape coming out of college."@TomPelissero has heard some rave reviews of the @AlabamaFTBL QB. pic.twitter.com/knO8h2Ws5d
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) April 24, 2025
That's high praise considering that's a list that includes not only Jackson and Hurts, but Michael Vick as well. Milroe's legs have outright dominated football games. Turn on the tape from the LSU game in Baton Rouge last year and you'll see all you need to. If that's not enough, check out his touchdown scamper on 4th-and-1 against Georgia.
Milroe's vision as a runner could certainly improve, but his breakaway speed is apparent. He ran a sub-4.4 40-yard dash at Alabama's Pro Day in March.
Whoever drafts Milroe should be prepared to be patient. The Ravens and Eagles were patient with Jackson and Hurts. Jackson started seven games as a rookie while Hurts started four. Both had sub-packages where they made an impact on the field before taking over the starting job, which is something that will be likely for Milroe as a rookie.
He should not be asked to start next season. He should effectively redshirt in that manner. But you can install some plays to get him on the field with the ball in his hands in the open field. But he'll need time to develop as a passer before he's ready to be a starter.
That patience could ultimately pay major dividends, and Milroe could blossom into one of the top players from this draft class.