Can Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe be the next Crimson Tide signal-caller to make the leap to the professional level? As Milroe’s 2025 NFL Draft scouting report details, he has the physical upside to challenge for first-round capital if he can reach his ceiling by the end of 2024.
Jalen Milroe’s Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’2″
- Weight: 220 pounds
- Position: Quarterback
- School: Alabama
- Current Year: Redshirt Junior
Alabama lays claim to three first-round quarterbacks over the past five NFL Draft cycles. Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones both went to AFC East teams, while Bryce Young was the first overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, joining the Carolina Panthers.
If you want to include all early-round picks, you could argue Jalen Hurts qualifies as well — given that he spent his early years at Alabama before transferring to Oklahoma.
Bottom line, the Crimson Tide have a line of development at QB, and Milroe could be next in line.
Hailing from Obra D. Tompkins High School in Katy, Texas, Milroe had to wait his turn as a four-star recruit in the 2021 cycle. He preserved his redshirt after playing just four games during the 2021 season.
In 2022, Milroe logged his first start — a win against Texas A&M — but was most often used as a designed running threat.
Once Young left in 2023, however, the starting job was Milroe’s to take. At first, he won it over transfer addition Tyler Buchner. But after an early-season loss against Texas in which Milroe threw two interceptions, the redshirt sophomore was benched for Buchner.
That could’ve been the end. However, an underwhelming start from Buchner the following week allowed Milroe to take the reins again. And this time, he wouldn’t relinquish the job under center.
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Milroe started the remainder of the 2023 season for Alabama, generating 28 total touchdowns to just four interceptions over that stretch. The Crimson Tide won every regular-season game from that point on, as well as the SEC title game against Georgia — earning a College Football Playoff appearance against Michigan as a result.
Nick Saban retired after the 2023 campaign, but Milroe chose to remain at Alabama and see out his career as a member of the Tide. Now, commanding an offense overseen by former Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer, he’s positioned himself to potentially rise in April.
As of this update, Milroe has looked improved within a limited sample size in the 2024 campaign. Through three games, he’s completed 35 of 52 attempts (67.3%) for 590 yards, eight touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
This was a big week for Jalen Milroe: His first test against a secondary with potential NFL talent (Ricardo Hallman, Hunter Wohler).
So far, he’s been spectacular. 9-12, 130 yards. 50 rush yards, 3 Total TDs. And this immaculate bucket throw.
— Ian Cummings (@IC_Draft) September 14, 2024
Milroe is on pace to crush his previous career passing efficiency records, and he’s also remained a potent rushing threat early in the 2024 season. To this point, he has 156 yards and six touchdowns on the ground, using his athleticism as a dynamic creative presence.
All this being said, the early-season stretch did not test Milroe as much as full-fledged SEC competition will.
From October onward, the Crimson Tide have four ranked matchups, and a clash against top-ranked Georgia will reveal much about Milroe’s current prospect standing.
Milroe’s Scouting Report
Strengths
- Hyper-elite explosive presence and creative force, with a strong and compact frame.
- Brings blistering speed and eye-catching one-cut agility in space as a running threat.
- Playmaking IQ shows in his ability to use pump fakes to draw defenders out of lanes.
- Has the elite arm strength to generate and drive ample velocity without full hip rotation.
- Able to use obtuse arm angles to layer passes over linebackers while keeping velocity.
- Has shown to generate velocity and keep shoulders level as an off-platform passer.
- Can keep his eyes up in off-script situations and hit scramble drill targets with touch.
- Able to make second-window throws and hit WRs with pace and precision on sit routes.
- Showcases a level of mechanical control with his ability to use touch and shoulder tilt.
- Flashes the ability to displace safeties with his eyes, then capitalize with his arm.
- Able to slide and stack micro-movements to manage pocket spacing and evade the rush.
- Shows glimpses of depth discipline and can climb the pocket to escape edge pressure.
- Has the discretion to peel off of initial reads when safeties recognize route concepts.
- Incredibly tough and physical competitor who’s willing to sell out for crucial gains.
- In 2023, weathered adversity and returned from an early benching to become a leader.
Weaknesses
- Composite arm talent, while great, may fall a notch below the elite tier.
- Sometimes opens his hips prematurely ahead of releases, locking out his hip rotation.
- Is still relatively arm-dominant with his mechanics and too often neutralizes his base.
- Hip stiffness and tall, wide mechanics can snag rotational torque and source instability.
- Has room to tighten his upper body mechanics and carriage to maximize rotation.
- Sometimes jerks up on release, negating rotation and causing shoulder misalignment.
- Release mechanics can be abrupt and uncontrolled, necessitating more consistency.
- Still learning how to layer touch and pace on deep pass and back-shoulder attempts.
- Segmented dropback footwork can delay early reads and set him behind in progressions.
- Sometimes misses open boundary reads, failing to recognize intermediate opportunities.
- Can be goaded into dropping his eyes prematurely when the pocket condenses.
- At times, hesitates on open receivers over the middle of the field, inviting chaotic situations.
- Still has room to be more consistent in anticipating route breaks to stay on time.
- Sometimes attempts to do too much as a creator, risking unnecessary sacks.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Milroe grades out as a fringe top-100 prospect in the class, with current early Day 3 viability. Seeing out the 2024 campaign with DeBoer — who helped catalyze Michael Penix Jr.’s development — Milroe could undergo the necessary development to become an early-round pick.
Milroe has all of the raw talent to be a future NFL starter. He’s a superlative athlete and competitor with blistering speed, explosiveness, and agility. He also has an extremely strong arm with good angle freedom and elasticity.
Going further, NFL teams will be sold on Milroe’s toughness and resolve as a leader. He could have faded away after being benched early in the 2023 season by Saban. But a week later, Milroe returned and became Alabama’s most important player down the stretch.
MORE: 2025 NFL Draft Big Board
Milroe’s 2023 campaign wasn’t completely devoid of growth as a passer, but he still has plenty of room for mental and mechanical refinement. His base mechanics are inconsistent — both inhibiting drive and causing shoulder misalignment — and his field vision, anticipation, and trigger quickness are all valid question marks.
At the very least, Milroe’s hyper-elite athleticism and creation capacity are something an offensive mind can build around. And some of his traits as a passer (arm talent, discretion, patience in the pocket, and toughness) suggest unrecognized potential. His time with DeBoer in 2024 may prove to be key in unlocking his ultimate ceiling.
Milroe still carries a developmental label as a prospect, but his elite physical tools and competitive toughness, resolve, and drive to improve make him a worthwhile investment with true NFL starter upside.
Milroe’s Biographical Background
Milroe was born and raised in Katy, Texas, a football-rich region known for producing top-tier talent. At Obra D. Tompkins High School, he quickly made a name for himself as one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the country.
Milroe’s athleticism and arm talent caught the attention of college scouts early in his high school career. By the time he was a senior, he had established himself as a four-star recruit, ranked among the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the 2021 recruiting class.
During his high school career, Milroe passed for over 3,000 yards and rushed for nearly 1,000 yards, becoming a coveted prospect for college programs.
Originally committed to Texas, Milroe eventually flipped his commitment to Alabama, drawn by the program’s reputation for developing NFL-caliber quarterbacks like Tagovailoa, Jones, and Hurts. He saw Alabama as the ideal place to hone his skills and compete at the highest level.
Despite the stiff competition on Alabama’s depth chart, Milroe’s drive and work ethic have pushed him to continually improve. His journey from a high school standout in Texas to a starting quarterback at Alabama is a testament to his dedication and talent.