Could Jalen Milroe be the next Lamar Jackson?
According to NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero, NFL coaches and scouts are providing evaluations of the Alabama quarterback that indicate such a comparison is appropriate.
"Several -- not one -- several coaches and scouts told me as I was making calls about all these quarterbacks is Jalen Milroe is the greatest runner of the football they've ever evaluated at the quarterback position," Pelissero said Monday on Good Morning Football. "Not Lamar Jackson -- Jalen Milroe is the best runner that they've ever seen."
Milroe provided a glimpse of his running ability during last month's Alabama pro day, turning in an impressive aggregated 40-yard time of 4.40 seconds. That pace ranked Milroe with one of the fastest 40 times recorded by a QB of all-time.
Milroe ranked second in FBS with 20 rushing touchdowns, setting a school record while leading the Crimson Tide in rushing (726 yards) during his junior season in 2024. The 6-foot-2, 217-pound prospect also produced 2,844 passing yards with a 64.3 completion percentage, but his 16:11 touchdown-to-interception ratio might be what's holding him back in first-round projections.
NFL Draft analyst Chad Reuter has Milroe getting taken with the first pick of the second round (33rd overall) by the Cleveland Browns in his latest seven-round mock draft.
The Baltimore Ravens famously traded back into the first round to select Jackson with the No. 32 overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, and the rest has been unprecedented history for the two-time league MVP. In 2024 Jackson became the first player in NFL history with 4000-pluss passing yards and 800-plus rushing yards rushing yards in the same season and nearly became just the seventh player ever to win MVP a third time.
Much like Jackson's foray into the NFL, Milroe's pro career will ultimately be decided by growth in the passing game. But the intangibles some scouts and coaches are seeing might be too good to pass up come Thursday night.
Here's what else we're monitoring on Monday ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft, which kicks off Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET:
- Running back Ashton Jeanty is expected to be a top-10 pick on Thursday night, but could a team be compelled to ensure they land the Boise State product by trading up? NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero points to the Jacksonville Jaguars' No. 5 spot as a potential place to move ahead in line of the Las Vegas Raiders, who are considered a prime landing spot at No. 6. The Raiders, Chicago Bears (No. 10) and Dallas Cowboys (No. 12) all brought Jeanty in for a Top 30 visit this spring. Jeanty finished second in Heisman Trophy after producing 2,601 rushing yards in 2024, the second best rushing season in FBS all-time.
- A majority of NFL.com mock drafts have the Indianapolis Colts selecting a tight end with the No. 14 overall pick on Thursday night, but general manager Chris Ballard indicated on Monday that he's comfortable with the group as it stands today despite the offseason departure of Kylen Granson, who led all Colts TEs in receiving last season. "We like the group that we have here," Ballard said. "You can't chase a need, that's when you make a mistake. We'll let the board play out." Mo Alie-Cox, Andrew Ogletree, Jelani Woods and Albert Okwuegbunam are among six TEs currently on Indy's roster, but adding a dynamic pass-catcher could be a useful piece for an offense that is set to see a heated quarterback competition between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones this summer. Penn State's Tyler Warren and Michigan's Colston Loveland are the TE prospects projected to land with the Colts in several NFL.com mock drafts at No. 14 overall. Monday's comment from Ballard might be a way to throw off the scent of a recognizable need and the GM didn't stop there, adding that he's open-minded about the idea of drafting a QB this week: "If there's a player that we deem is worthy of it, absolutely, yeah. Why wouldn't we?"
- Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst told reporters Monday that there aren't "any updates" on cornerback Jaire Alexander status with the club. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Feb. 26 that the Packers are open to trading the two-time Pro Bowler but a deal has yet to materialize. Such a trade could come into play during the 2025 NFL Draft and could let Green Bay add to their eight picks, something Gutekunst said on Monday he'd love to do.
- One of the prevailing pre-draft storylines has been the lack of trades involving notable selections. Currently all 32 teams hold their first-round selection. While there is no guarantee of a rash of trades on Thursday night, expect to see plenty of activity during the three days of the draft. One team that could look to move down to secure more draft capital is the Cincinnati Bengals. Cincy currently holds just six picks over the course of the draft (including the No. 17 overall selection), and exec Duke Tobin told reporters on Monday, "We would like to have a few more (picks)," per WLWT-TV, "we'll see if we can make that happen."
