When Jalen Milroe took the QB1 mantle from Bryce Young at Alabama, no one thought he would be so productive in everything he was put into. And so, Nick Saban and Tommy Rees utilized the guy fully. He not only led Alabama to their 2023 SEC championship but also earned a college football playoff berth. While also accumulating 2,834 passing yards, 531 rushing yards, and 35 touchdowns. That was truly phenomenal for a guy making his mark.
Then came Kalen DeBoer in 2024, and the offense changed. Tommy Rees went to the Cleveland Browns, and DeBoer brought in his proven tight ends coach, Nick Sheridan, from Washington as Alabama’s OC. Was this a recipe well-suited for Milroe? Did the offensive schemes take into account Milroe’s abilities? Well, Milroe’s stats in 2024 improved slightly in some areas, but he couldn’t quite reach his peak. He finished with 2,844 passing yards and 726 rushing yards. Though, his potential was something that DeBoer couldn’t harness. But now that he is preparing for the NFL, can he provide that peak ceiling performance while playing pro football?
Prominent analyst and ex-scout Gerald ‘Smoke’ Dixon provides his reasoning as to why he believes in Milroe and how the player would be the game-changer for many teams. “When you look at him (Jalen Milroe), he’s not a finished product. He’s somebody who has a skill set that you can teach. If you get the right person, you can get him there because he can get out of there, and he can make something happen. He can make all the throws, and I’m telling you, I saw Josh Allen grow over the years to be one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. It didn’t start just one day. It takes being put in situations where he’s still learning how to play the position.”
NFL, American Football Herren, USA Super Bowl LIX-Kansas City Chiefs at Philadelphia Eagles Feb 9, 2025 New Orleans, LA, USA Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts 1 celebrates after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs to win Super Bowl LIX at Ceasars Superdome. New Orleans Ceasars Superdome LA USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMarkxJ.xRebilasx 20250301_mjr_su5_142
Well, Milroe does have all the ingredients to be that top-level NFL quarterback and this is something beyond statistics. Just recently, in the Pro Day hosted by Alabama, the ace QB ran the 40-yard dash in just 4.37 seconds, which is unbelievable for a QB. His ability to ruthlessly cut through defenses and make those electric runs is rare in QBs these days. Just look at his tape against the Georgia game during the 2024 season. He passed for a whopping 374 yards and was the leading runner at 117 yards, scoring 2 touchdowns and passing for another 2.
This performance is what Gerald Dixon is talking about. Since his weaknesses can be mended, his ability in power-run schemes will benefit NFL franchises. That being said, there are some concerns regarding his short pass distribution in the 1 to 10-yard area. His line of scrimmage passing play had a 30% completion rate, which could be concerning for many teams. Then there is a concern about the player struggling in the red zone in evading defenders, changing pace, and showcasing agility. His passing efficiency in the red zone was also quite low, as he had just a 50% completion rate. However, these weaknesses may not be too much of a concern for a few teams.
Jalen Milroe the best long-term replacement fit for Jalen Hurts?
We all know how Jalen Hurts has progressed through the ranks of CFB and then the NFL. 2 Super Bowl appearances in a significantly short span of 4 years (1 Super Bowl win) is extraordinary. And now it is Jalen Hurts’ success with the Eagles that has opened the floodgates of optimism for Jalen Milroe. Because, in a sense, both players have strikingly similar traits, which the Eagles could use in their system. Similar to Hurts, Milroe isn’t quite the first draft pick yet; both the QBs could run incredibly, and similar to Hurts, Milroe will also need some period to improve at his franchise.
Matt Harmon of Yahoo Sports also had a similar intrigue regarding Milroe and Hurts’ similarities. “We didn’t really see that full development from Jalen Milroe. Now, I do think, again, like a ceiling-floor comparison—ceiling comparison is maybe he could be a poor man’s Jalen Hurts because he’s got the tools. The mobility is real. You could design something out of that… A floor comparison is, you know, we’re talking about a guy who maybe people want to switch positions with at some point. Whether that’s right or wrong, that’s what we’d be talking about with Jalen Milroe.”
Well, initially, Milroe might be the ‘poor man’s Jalen Hurts.’ However, he has all the ingredients to develop into a world-class NFL QB. For starters, his biggest strength is his arm. He can throw 40-yard+ passes quite accurately. In 2024, he had an 80% completion rate in long-pass situations. His top speed and acceleration will be useful in the running game. We have also seen his ability to take hits as he played all kinds of blitz defenses last year. The verdict?
Jalen Milroe will be ideal for a team that utilizes power-gap-run schemes and play-action pass situations. And in that sense, the Eagles are the first and foremost team that comes to mind with Jalen Hurts as QB. Will the Eagles eye him? Let’s see.
The post Ex-Scout Sends Clear Message to 32 NFL Teams on Jalen Milroe’s Future as Alabama Star Predicted to Replace $255M QB appeared first on EssentiallySports.
