There will not be a more polarizing and divisive prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft than Alabama QB Jalen Milroe. Some will be bullish on his long term potential while others will not believe he can ever develop into an NFL QB and would be better served in a Swiss Army Knife role ala Taysom Hill with the New Orleans Saints.
The next few months, Milroe will be poked and prodded. His game tape will be analyzed closely, from the highest of high moments, like his complete evisceration of Georgia this season to his unmitigated disaster of a performance in Norman against Oklahoma.
Milroe has a big opportunity ahead of him at the Senior Bowl in Mobile in a couple of weeks to showcase his skills and move up the draft boards. He's likely to wow scouts at the combine and his Pro Day due to his unparalleled athleticism. I expect he'll throw well at the combine, too, if he so chooses.
He'll interview well, too, as they don't make people much better than him. But being a good person won't be enough; can he diagnose defenses well enough, or at least, can he learn to? NFL GM's and coaches will be putting their jobs on the line to select him high and they won't do it unless they're sure.
According to a new mock draft on CBS Sports, Milroe might go higher than many think. CBS has Milroe going No. 2 overall to the Cleveland Browns, right behind Miami's Cam Ward, the projected No. 1 pick, and ahead of Colorado's Shedeur Sanders.
The Browns have an obvious need at QB with the likelihood that Deshaun Watson has played his last snap in Cleveland following a re-tear of his Achilles tendon that will almost certainly keep him out for the entire 2025 season after missing the majority of 2024.
Cleveland isn't necessarily an ideal situation for Milroe; they would need to sign a bridge QB to start next season as any team planning on drafting and starting him right away is setting themselves - and Milroe - up for failure.
The CBS mock has one additional Alabama player going in the first round with OG Tyler Booker mocked to the Seattle Seahawks with the 18th pick. Booker might be the top offensive guard in the draft and will get heavy first round consideration.
LB Jihaad Campbell is another Tide player who will warrant first round consideration, but he was not among the first round selections in this mock.