As expected, Alabama QB Jalen Milroe declared for the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday, foregoing his final season of collegiate eligibility. In a weak QB class headlined by Colorado's Shedeur Sanders and Miami's Cam Ward, Milroe has a chance to slot in as the No. 3 QB and be a first-round pick.
Is he ready to play quarterback in the NFL? Probably not, but getting into a professional development program will help his growth and he has all the physical tools to one day be a successful NFL starter. Pro teams in any sport will draft on projection of who a player can be and not necessarily who a player currently is.
Milroe had an up-and-down redshirt junior season in Tuscaloosa as Alabama finished a disappointing 9-4 with a loss in the ReliaQuest Bowl to Michigan.
Milroe seemingly regressed as a passer in 2024 with all of his passing statistics taking dip. He only threw a single touchdown pass against a Power-4 opponent after the Tennessee game in mid-October, and that was his touchdown toss to Robbie Ouzts in the bowl game.
There won't be many better athletes in this draft class than Milroe, but he has a lot of work to do as a passer before he's ready to start for an NFL team. Ideally, the NFL team that drafts Milroe will have an entrenched veteran starting QB and Milroe can sit back and learn. I think he needs at least a full season, more than likely two, of sitting on the bench and learning before he's ready to play meaningful snaps.
If a team drafts Milroe with the expectation that he can start for them next season, the experiment will more than likely be a failure.
Let's examine the five best NFL fits for Milroe.
The five best NFL fits for Jalen Milroe
5. Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys just signed Dak Prescott to a massive extension and still intend on him being the long-term solution at QB. But having a reliable option learning behind Prescott for several years could be an ideal fit for the Cowboys as they just learned how quickly a season can derail if your quarterback gets hurt.
Prescott gets more grief than he deserves from Cowboys fans, something Milroe can relate to as it pertains to Alabama fans. This would give Milroe an opportunity to sit back and learn as there would be no immediate pressure for him to play.
The Cowboys are stuck with Prescott until at least 2028 with the amount of dead money owed if they released him, but that could be perfect timing for Milroe to be ready to step in following three seasons of being the backup.
4. Seattle Seahawks
Veteran QB Geno Smith has been a revelation in Seattle, but he's 34 years old and will be entering the final season of his current contract next year with the Seahawks. It's time for Seattle to begin thinking about long-term solutions at QB and life after Smith.
After back-to-back really good seasons as the Seattle starter, things haven't been as smooth for Smith and the Seahawks in 2024 with only 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He could be coming to the end of his run, and the Seahawks could use him as a bridge starter in 2025 as Milroe gets ready to take over after.
3. New Orleans Saints
Derek Carr has two more guaranteed years on his contract with the Saints, meaning his timeline as the starting QB in New Orleans and Milroe being ready to take over is just about perfect. Ideally, Milroe would sit for at least two seasons.
Carr is a veteran QB who has been around the block and has seen it all and would be an excellent mentor for Milroe. The Saints did draft a mid-round QB last season in South Carolina's Spencer Rattler, but the former Gamecock hasn't shown enough to this point for the Saints to bet their future on him.
The Saints are currently projected to have the No. 10 pick in the draft, meaning they probably pick too low to be in Sanders/Ward sweepstakes without moving up, but they're likely in perfect position to get first dibs on Milroe.
2. Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford is one of the most reliable veteran quarterbacks in the league and is taking the Rams back to the playoffs in 2025. He has two more seasons on his contract, and he'll be 39 years old by the time this contract runs out.
It's time for the Rams to begin thinking about life after Stafford, and I'm intrigued at what Sean McVay, one of the most innovative minds in the game of football, would be able to do with Milroe, especially with a couple of years of him sitting back and learning.
You can bet that he'd have a package ready to utilize Milroe's legs right away as a rookie and change of pace option for his Los Angeles offense.
1. Pittsburgh Steelers
Russell Wilson has played extremely well in his first season with the Steelers, bouncing back from a rough two year stint with the Broncos and most pundits believing his NFL career was over. He only signed a one-year contract with Pittsburgh, but has likely earned an extension as he has the Steelers comfortably in the playoffs.
If Wilson gets an extension, it's likely to only be for two years as the veteran QB will be 37 years old next year.
The Steelers traded for Justin Fields this past offseason, but the former Ohio State QB will be a free agent this offseason and could look to move on from Pittsburgh if there's a team out there willing to give him a chance as the starter.
The Steelers, led by head coach Mike Tomlin, are the most reliable organization in the NFL. Year in and year out they field a well-coached football team that is in playoff contention. I can't think of a better landing spot for Milroe than that, especially with a veteran QB like Wilson who can help nurture and grow the talented Crimson Tide signal-caller.