When you suffer a setback in life, the only way forward is to use it as motivation. Alabama QB Jalen Milroe suffered a setback when he wasn't selected in the 1st Round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night. He sat in the green room in Green Bay and watched 32 players hear their names called while he was left to sit and watch.
It got worse on Friday as the 2nd Round came and went without Milroe being selected. The only saving grace was that he was no longer in the green room, instead retreating to a private gathering with family and friends.
27 picks into the 3rd Round, and Milroe was still left waiting. The fear of falling to the third day of the draft was becoming an unfortunate reality. But then Alabama great Shaun Alexander strolled to the podium to announce the 28th pick of the 3rd Round - No. 92 overall - Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama.
The wait was over. Milroe is now an NFL QB. He's landed in a good situation with the Seahawks, who spent big money this offseason to sign Sam Darnold. They have an entrenched starter. Milroe will have no pressure to be the team's QB next season. Probably not the year after, either. But the Seahawks will undoubtedly install a "Milroe package" to get the talented playmaker on the field in certain situations.
Milroe will be out of the spotlight, no longer the starting QB of the most talked-about team in college football. He can just sit back and put the work in. And he's got ample motivation from the other 31 teams in the league passing on him, multiple times. Teams like the Steelers and Rams, who had late meetings with Milroe before the draft and seemed poised to potentially select him.
Milroe had a short and sweet message to the teams that passed on him:
Question: Jalen, do you think you’re the best QB in the draft and do you have any message to teams who passed on you?
— Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) April 26, 2025
Jalen Milroe: “Belt to ass.”
Jalen Milroe doesn't lack for confidence - or motivation - at the next level
"There's nothing I can't do on a football field," said Milroe to reporters shortly after he was picked.
"Are there things I can improve on? Absolutely. But there's nothing I can't do on the football field."
Milroe is a confident kid. He never wavered once he took over the Alabama starting QB job, through the ups and downs. He played poorly in 2023's home loss to Texas and was subsequently benched for the Tide's game against USF. He took the starting job back the following week and helped the Crimson Tide reel off 10 straight wins from there to capture the SEC Championship and advance to the College Football Playoff.
His 2024 season was a struggle. He started the year hot, carving up Georgia in Tuscaloosa in September. He struggled in Alabama's losses to Tennessee, Oklahoma, and again in the bowl game to Michigan. In between that, he had a historic performance in Baton Rouge in the Tide's blowout win over LSU.
He's had moments that could have easily destroyed his confidence. But he quietly continues to put the work in. He'll keep doing that in Seattle. And when he finally steps back into a starting situation, here's betting that we see a completely different guy.