Jalen

Milroe

As reported by The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Duggar, Milroe played behind both Sam Darnold and Drew Lock and “didn’t have many plays that stood out” during the week. The team’s decision to play him with the third-string shouldn’t come as a surprise, as there’s a good chance Milroe, who was considered an unpolished passer upon entering the draft, could redshirt in his rookie season as he looks to learn behind two vets. While he could usurp Drew Lock on the depth chart with a strong training camp, fantasy managers shouldn’t expect much out of Milroe as a rookie outside of the occasional gadget play.

Kubiak served as the 49ers’ passing game coordinator during the 2023 NFL season. Although Milroe is studying the overlapping “reads and play calls,” he also remains focused on improving his footwork, which is becoming a running theme this offseason. Earlier this month, ESPN’s Brady Henderson reported that Milroe has been working on his “lower-half mechanics” with private QB coach Jordan Palmer. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler critiqued Milroe, pre-draft, for his “disjointed mechanics” that “disrupt the rhythm” of his dropbacks. Milroe knows he must improve in this regard if he wants to compete for the starting role in 2026. Milroe notes that Purdy “understands his feet are tied into the read and pocket integrity,” and Purdy is “at his best” and “most efficient” when he plays on time. Hopefully, Milroe can effectively put these conclusions to use in preseason play later this summer.

“Milroe is a quarterback, Macdonald said, and will be used accordingly,” The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar said. That doesn’t mean the Seahawks won’t find some way to get the ultra-athletic Milroe onto the field in some high-leverage circumstances, perhaps in short yardage or goal line situations. If Milroe and Darnold rotate snaps in 2025, neither will have much in the way of fantasy value. Seattle is fully expected to be among the NFL’s most run-heavy units under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.

Palmer has been helping Milroe improve his “lower-half mechanics” by specifically focusing on Milroe’s weight distribution during the passing motion follow-through. Milroe is an electric athlete who must refine his passing mechanics and processing if he wants to earn and retain a starting job in the NFL. He’s hired the right person to achieve this end. Palmer famously worked with quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow and Sam Darnold previously.

“One of the reasons we hired [Klint Kubiak] was his ability to incorporate the whole roster and really bring out what everybody does really well. Adding Jalen [Milroe] is a part of that,” Macdonald added. That’s a pretty revealing quote, and while we blurbed Macdonald talking about how Jalen Milroe isn’t an option in a Taysom Hill role, it sounds like Milroe will at least have some package of run-play installs. If those plays come near the goal line, it’s possible that Darnold will suffer reduced fantasy viability in superflex leagues this year. With the Seahawks not married to Darnold by contract in 2026, there’s already some inherent benching risks to consider as well. Darnold should still open the year as the starter, but he probably needs to perform well to stay on it all season.

Macdonald’s comments come on the heels of him being asked if Milroe could be used in a “Taysom Hill role.” The second-year coach said Milroe is “going to be trained to play quarterback” and added that Milroe will be playing quarterback when he is on the field. Milroe is a hyper-athletic but raw prospect at the quarterback position and is expected to need a year or two of grooming to improve his decision-making and abilities as a passer. It would not be at all surprising if we saw him in some select packages this upcoming season, but it sounds like the team will not be using him in the hybrid role we’ve grown accustomed to seeing for Hill.

It’s the third quarterback selected ahead of Shedeur Sanders. A two-year starter in a pair of completely different offensive systems for the Crimson Tide, Milroe (6’2/217) enters the league with one of the more imposing dual-threat skill-sets in some time. The question is if his passing will actually translate to the next level. Although both more experienced and prolific than Anthony Richardson at the NCAA level, Milroe faces Richardson-esque questions about his throws. Alabama coach and play-caller Kalen DeBoer acknowledged as much by keeping the governor on his quarterback through the air. Milroe attempted more than 27 passes only two times all year, and he produced just five more passing scores (16) than interceptions (11). Milroe was a dynamo on the ground, rushing for 726 yards, a number that of course includes the negative yardage from his 23 sacks due to antiquated NCAA record keeping. Milroe punched in a ridiculous 32 rushing scores in two years as starter. His main 2024 passing improvement came in the pressure department, as he cut his pressure-to-sack rate from an unseemly 29 to 16.8. He is confident down the field. He simply has to improve at the finer points of passing, something that is difficult to do at the highest level. A special athlete with a strong arm, Milroe has the physical tools. Whether they can be harnessed through the air is anybody’s guess. This is now a very full QB room for Seattle, but they’ll give him a chance to develop into a potential starter.

Schefter said on SportsCenter Wednesday morning that Milroe is more likely than not to slip into the second round of the draft after gaining some late hype as a potential first round selection for a quarterback-needy team. Schefter added that Milroe — who totaled nearly 1,600 rushing yards over four seasons in college — could quickly become “the most dangerous running quarterback” in the NFL. The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo said last week that the Steelers, who have the 21st pick in the first round, are unlikely to select Milroe if he’s still on the board. That would almost guarantee that he’ll fall into the second round on Friday.

DeFabo notes in a recent article that Milroe “has generated a lot of buzz in Pittsburgh,” and highlights comments made on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, who said an executive told him the Steelers “really like” Milroe. According to DeFabo, however, he’s “hearing the exact opposite.” The Steelers beat writer goes so far as to predict the team wouldn’t take Milroe if he “is sitting there in the third round.” The Steelers are in need of a quarterback, again, and the Aaron Rodgers saga doesn’t appear to be getting resolved any time soon. Assuming there’s a prospect they like in the draft, the Steelers feel like a near lock to take a shot on a signal-caller at some point, but DeFabo’s bold prediction suggests Milroe is nowhere near the team’s radar.

Berry continued with his praise of Milroe’s physical traits, saying he is maybe the only quarterback faster than Lamar Jackson. Milroe ran for 729 yards and a jaw-dropping 20 touchdowns in his final season at Alabama. Though the Browns don’t appear to be taking a quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick, they are up again at No. 33 and could even package that selection with another pick to get back into the first round. The Browns have held visits with all of the major quarterback prospects, including Milroe. They currently have Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett on the roster, neither of whom is a long-term option.