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Saunders: Don’t Rule Out Jalen Milroe for Steelers
INDIANAPOLIS — In many ways, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe is one of the most fascinating prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft class.
Milroe appears to be on tape to be one of the best athletes in the quarterback position, and not only in this draft class, but he looks like he’d immediately be one of the most athletic quarterbacks in the entire NFL.
Just look at him run.
Milroe also has a more than strong enough arm, meaning he should not be limited to just being a running quarterback at the next level.
Then you turn off the highlight reel and turn on the tape. And boy, is it ugly. Milroe threw 11 interceptions compared to 16 touchdowns this season as a redshirt junior. Against SEC teams, he threw five touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
There were glimpses of quality play. He threw for 374 yards and accounted for four touchdowns — two on the ground and two through the air — in a win over Georgia on Sept. 28.
But as Alabama’s season slipped into an uncharacteristic level of meaningless in losses to Vanderbilt and Oklahoma, Milroe appeared to be holding the Crimson Tide back instead of getting better as the season went on.
That’s the way the entirety of the draft process has gone for Milroe, as well: one step forward and one step back. At the Senior Bowl, he started the week with a surprisingly small hand-size measurement.
Next, he wowed with a well-received interview session, where seemed affable and likable, with a good head on shoulders — always important traits when evaluating a quarterback. Milroe’s personality is one you can bet on, and he has the traits that NFL teams look for when entrusting a leadership position like quarterback to a young player. He’s proved that over and over again.
Then, he went out onto the practice field at South Alabama and missed almost every receiver he looked at.
Milroe did get better as the week went on in Mobile, but it was a missed opportunity, for sure. For what it’s worth, the Pittsburgh Steelers brass in Mobile seemed to be fairly singularly focused on the defensive line while Milroe was finding more turf than hands with his passes.
At the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, he had his hands re-measured, and they checked in at a perfectly reasonable 9 3/8 inches. Milroe again impressed in interviews with his personality and knowledge.
Then he chose not to perform any testing events, saving them for the Alabama pro day where his speed will not be measured electronically, but with less-accurate, hand-timed devices.
According to The Athletic, Milroe told a team this week that he would run a 4.3-second 40-yard dash. I don’t have much reason to doubt him, judging by the tape. But then Milroe disappointed scouts by not running.
He did perform in on-field drills, where he threw the ball better than the had at the Senior Bowl.
Up, down, up, down, up, down.
Milroe was maddeningly inconsistent at Alabama, so there’s no reason we shouldn’t have expected him to be just as inconsistent in the pre-draft process, but that inconsistency has made for one of the most difficult and fascinating evaluations.
I’m sure by now you’ve heard stories that some teams are evaluating Milroe as a running back, and not a quarterback. That’s a testament to both his otherworldly athleticism and also the amount of work he has to do as a passer.
But here’s the rub. That might not be hurting Milroe’s draft stock very much. Right now, Milroe is No. 47 on the NFL Mock Draft Database consensus big board.
At the combine last week, Steelers Now spoke to a staff member from one team that would not take Milroe as a quarterback, but would consider him as a running back. That team also has a second-round grade on him.
Milroe’s athleticism and inconsistency as a passer provide a projection at quarterback with a ridiculously high ceiling and an equally ridiculously low floor.
But his abilities as a pure runner actually provide a bit of a safety net to his evaluation. If no one is ever able to figure out a way to get Milroe to more accurately read defenses, go through progressions, throw with anticipation and feel rush from the pocket, at the very least, they’ll have drafted a fairly good running back and gadget player.
Taysom Hill is an important weapon for the New Orleans Saints. He’s scored 26 touchdowns over the last four seasons. Milroe could be that kind of red zone weapon that also has the breakaway speed to score from anywhere on the field.
So where does that mean Milroe will be drafted? That remains fairly uncertain, but you can bet it’ll be a lot higher than where you’d suspect if you only watched him throw the ball at Alabama.
As for the Steelers, SN sources have said the team is higher on him than the consensus, and have been since they scouted him in person against Wisconsin, Georgia and LSU last fall.
Would that put Milroe into consideration for the Steelers at pick No. 52? They have a lot of other needs to take care of before they get there. One of their incumbent quarterbacks will likely sign this week, making quarterback more of a luxury than a true need in this draft class. The gaping holes at wide receiver, cornerback and running back, and the desperate desire for depth and upgrades on the defensive line will likely take priority.
What if they filled their need at running back with a player that might also be able to play quarterback? It doesn’t seem likely. But just don’t rule it out entirely.