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Jalen Milroe NFL draft projections: Exploring Alabama QB's draft position if he decides to go pro

Jalen Milroe has a decision to make. Sure, Alabama was left out of the College Football Playoff. But, the outstanding Alabama passer still has to decide whether to return for a final season with the Tide or move on to the NFL. The 2025 NFL Draft has only two sure-fire top QB prospects: Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward. But, Milroe is not a long step back.

Milroe was a Heisman candidate entering the season and was expected to thrive in new Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer's offense. At times, that was what happened. But at others, Milroe struggled. He's got a clear path to the pros and legitimate reasons to return to college.

Jalen Milroe NFL draft projections

Jalen Milroe has a big decision to make as to whether to enter the 2025 NFL Draft. (Photo Credit: IMAGN)
Jalen Milroe has a big decision to make as to whether to enter the 2025 NFL Draft. (Photo Credit: IMAGN)

Milroe is expected to be a relatively high NFL Draft pick if he enters the league. In a recent column, Bleacher Report ranked Milroe as the fourth quarterback available and projected him as a likely second-round pick.

NFLDraftBuzz projects Milroe as the No. 3 QB prospect, behind Sanders and Ward and ahead of Texas's Quinn Ewers (who is also considering returning to school or going pro). That site has him as the No. 50 overall prospect and projects him to be picked late in the second round.

The upside on Milroe

Milroe is an impressive athlete, blessed with top-end speed and a big arm. In four seasons at Alabama, Milroe threw for 5,824 yards and 44 touchdowns while rushing for 1,570 yards and 33 more scores. Milroe only saw significant time in the last two years, so those are essentially two-year totals.

Milroe has made big plays in big games and has never flinched from the spotlight. His combination of running threat and big arm makes him an intriguing NFL prospect with meaningful experience.

The downside of Milroe

Milroe can get happy feet in the pocket and his decision-making isn't always the best. The biggest issue will be his decline between 2023 and 2024. When Milroe's completion percentage stayed about the same, he went from 23 touchdowns to six interceptions in 2023 to 15 touchdowns to 10 interceptions in 2024.

Milroe did run the ball better in DeBoer's system, jumping from 3.3 to 4.7 yards per carry and from 12 touchdowns to 20 scores. He did see a mild decline in the level of playmakers around him in 2024, but Milroe's inconsistency is a legitimate concern.

Overall NFL prognosis

If Milroe goes pro, his performance at Pro Day and the NFL Combine will be key. Teams fall in love with quarterbacks based on those events annually. Milroe could run and throw his way into the first round very plausibly. Having just two true first-round picks in the draft class is unusual.

That said, Milroe's potential will require some moderation. He's not a true plug-and-play guy, but a fairly raw athlete who will benefit from patience at the next level. The second-round projections are reasonable. Many of the game's top QBs were picked outside the first round (Favre, Montana, Brady, etc). Team fit will be a big deal for Milroe at the next level.

What do you think of Milroe's NFL potential? Share your thoughts below in our comments section!

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