Jalen Milroe was not selected in the 1st Round of the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday night. Of the 17 players invited to the green room, he and Michigan CB Will Johnson were the only players left who didn't get picked.
Milroe not going in the 1st Round wasn't exactly a surprise. Most NFL Draft analysts expected Milroe to be a day two pick. He's supremely talented, but has too many glaring flaws to warrant a 1st Round selection.
Knowing that, why did the NFL invite him to Green Bay to begin with? The NFL talked a big game about limiting invitees to the draft so as to avoid the awkward green room moments and players getting their hearts broken on live TV as they see a lifelong dream of being picked in the 1st Round and shaking hands with the commissioner go up in smoke.
The expectation was that only 8-10 players would get invited, and only prospects who were sure-fire locks to get selected. That's why when Milroe was invited to the draft earlier this month, it signaled that he must have been in play for the 1st Round.
Instead, the NFL ultimately invited 17 players instead because they just couldn't help themselves. Milroe is the most polarizing player in this draft class, with wide-ranging opinions on his NFL potential. Him standing around the green room was sure to be of interest to folks watching TV. At the end of the day, that's all that matters to the decision makers at ESPN and the NFL.
Shedeur Sanders' fall might have the best thing to happen to Jalen Milroe
Milroe's saving grace on Thursday night was Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders' fall out of the 1st Round. Sanders was once considered a Top 5 pick and instead fell out of the 1st Round entirely. Sanders' steep fall kept Milroe out of the limelight.
ESPN preferred cutting to cameras at Sanders' draft party in Texas instead of Milroe in the back.
What they missed was the best part of Milroe: being a good teammate. Instead of sulking, Milroe showed genuine excitement when his Alabama teammates Tyler Booker and Jihaad Campbell got to realize their dreams by being selected by the Cowboys and Eagles, respectively.
That, more than any of the athletic gifts and traits, is what will make Milroe a successful player at the next level. It's that intangible. The "it" factor that only so many guys have. It's the same intangible that Jalen Hurts has, and he just led the Eagles to a Super Bowl win.
Milroe may never be that good. In fact, he probably won't be. But he will carve out a role somewhere and be an NFL player for the next decade.
Falling into the 2nd Round is probably the best thing that could have happened, as it removes any pressure from him to play right away. Now he will have the luxury of sitting back and developing away from the spotlight.
Whichever team drafts Milroe on Friday will improve their football team.