Tag: Jalen Milroe

Should Steelers use their 2025 first-round pick on a quarterback?

The Steelers may be in the market for a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft, but is a first-round pick the right move?

The Pittsburgh Steelers are no strangers to taking a chance on quarterbacks in the first round, doing so four times in the Super Bowl era: selecting Terry Bradshaw in 1970, Mark Malone in 1980, Ben Roethlisberger in 2004, and Kenny Pickett in 2022. The Black and Gold could do so once again in 2025, just three short years after their recent blunder in 2022.

Jalen Milroe, a dual-threat QB for the Alabama Crimson Tide over the past three years, has positioned himself perfectly for the Steelers to select him with the 21st pick of the first round in the 2025 NFL Draft—and it appears the team may be interested, as reported by Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan.

Milroe produced over 3,500 total yards in 13 games, as well as 36 total TDs. He struggled with protecting the ball in 2024, fumbling nine times and throwing 11 interceptions, but his raw athletic talent is worth considering to avoid missing out on another QB like Jalen Hurts again—regardless of Justin Fields or Russell Wilson returning in 2025.

In the Steelers’ hunt for the next Bradshaw or Roethlisberger, there are bound to be more Malones and Picketts—and here’s to hoping that Milroe could end up as the former.

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PFF targets quarterback for Steelers in 2025 NFL draft

Jalen Milroe could be the Steelers next franchise quarterback.

Despite completely rebuilding the quarterback room in 2024, the Pittsburgh Steelers will find themselves in need of help at quarterback again in 2025. We expect the Steelers to re-sign either Justin Fields or Russell Wilson in free agency but not both.

This would put the Steelers in line to draft a quarterback early in the 2025 NFL draft with Fields or Wilson as the bridge player until they are ready to start. This is much more of a Wilson scenario over Fields but more on that as the offseason goes on.

But which quarterback should the Steelers choose? Assuming Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders are long gone, the Steelers options are somewhat limited. Pro Football Focus offered up their opinion on the quarterback the Steelers should target and it is Alabama’s Jalen Milroe.

Here’s what they had to say about Milroe to the Steelers:

Both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are free agents this offseason and even if they bring either of them back, they are still in the market for a quarterback to develop. Milroe’s hype has fallen some, but he earned PFF grades above 87.0 in each of the past two seasons.

The reason the hype has died down on Milroe is his rough finish to the season. Milroe’s athletic potential falls right in line with the modern NFL but there’s no doubt he’s a work in progress. As a second-round pick, he could be an excellent long-term investment with a starter in place.

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New OC Tommy Rees speaks on his relationship with one QB prospect

Could the former Alabama OC reunite with the Alabama QB?

The Cleveland Browns need a quarterback, potentially in the 2025 NFL draft, and a pairing that keeps coming up is new offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and Alabama Football’s Jalen Milroe.

Introducing Rees as the new offensive coordinator today, being promoted from tight ends coach, the former Alabama offensive coordinator was asked about his former quarterback. Here is what Cleveland’s new offensive coordinator had to say:

“I have a lot of love for Jalen, a lot of respect. … that’s a great relationship there but I’m not really going to expand on anybody in the draft right now.”

Under the guidance of Rees in 2023, Milroe finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting with 2,800 yards and 23 touchdowns through the air and another 531 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground.

Could we see a Crimson Tide reunion in Cleveland?

NFL draft expert ranks Alabama’s Jalen Milroe as the No. 4 QB in the 2025 draft

Alabama’s Jalen Milroe ranked as the No. 4 QB prospect in the 2025 NFL draft per ESPN’s Mel Kiper.

The 2024 NFL quarterback draft class will go down as one of the strongest in history, with Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix guiding their teams to Playoff appearances as rookies and Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Michael Penix all showing flashes of special. The 2025 class will have some big shoes to fill, with only Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders considered a guaranteed top-five pick. However, the upside of guys like Texas’s Quinn Ewers and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe will make the draft quite intriguing.

After Alabama’s impressive Week 5 win against Georgia, many considered Milroe a top-five pick as he was showing vast signs of improvement in the passing game on top of already being one of the best athletes in the college game. Unfortunately, the second half of the season wasn’t as good for Milroe’s draft stock as the Tide dropped four total games and at times, he looked pretty lost.

Milroe will have to continue to develop as a passer before the draft, but with his freakish speed some team will be willing to roll the dice in either the first or second round. Milroe accepted an invite to the Reese’s Senior Bowl earlier this month and will again have an opportunity to show his arm off at the NFL combine.

ESPN NFL draft expert Mel Kiper is really high on Milroe entering the draft process as he ranks him as the No. 4 QB in the class behind Sanders, Miami’s Cam Ward and Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart. Milroe concluded the 2024 season completing 64.3% of his passes for 2,844 yards, 16 TDs and 11 INT as well as 168 carries for 726 yards and 20 TDs. I truly think Milroe is a total wild card at the NFL level, but he is worth the risk.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

2025 NFL draft: Giants pass on Shedeur Sanders in latest Dane Brugler mock

In the latest two-round mock draft from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, he has the New York Giants passing on QB Shedeur Sanders at No. 3.

The New York Giants have made it clear that finding their quarterback of the future is the No. 1 priority this offseason. What is unclear, however, is who that player will be.

The Giants hold the third overall selection in the 2025  NFL draft and have approximately $60 million in available cap space to work with.

In his latest mock, Dane Brugler of The Athletic believes Big Blue won’t take either of this year’s top two prospects (Miami’s Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders of Colorado).

Brugler believes Tennessee will snatch up Ward with the first overall pick and that Sanders will slide all the way down to No. 6 to the Las Vegas Raiders.

He has the Giants taking the Heisman Trophy winner, Colorado defensive back and wide receiver, Travis Hunter, at No. 3.

If the Giants are unable to move up for Ward, would they like Shedeur Sanders enough to draft him at No. 3? In this scenario, they don’t and instead opt for arguably the best player in the draft.  Hunter would give New York an upgrade at corner — and he’d be a fun weapon for Brian Daboll to mix into the offense for the Giants’ TBD quarterback.

It seems like a very real scenario. Sanders may be more sizzle than steak heading into the draft and the Giants could easily pass for a more stable option such as Hunter.

Brugler does, however, have the Giants addressing their quarterback situation in the second round with Alabama’s Jalen Milroe at No. 34.

Some draft analysts actually have Milroe rated higher than Ward and Sanders. All of that is, of course, subject to change as we have yet to go through the NFL Combine and the various pro days and private workouts this spring.

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Paul Finebaum discusses Jalen Milroe’s legacy, criticism from Alabama fans

Cheers or jeers? SEC Network host talks criticism of Jalen Milroe.

Jalen Milroe has played his final game in an Alabama football uniform after announcing last week that he would forgo his senior season and declare for the 2025 NFL Draft.

Milroe leaves behind a somewhat complicated legacy. On the one hand, he took over the reins from Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young and guided Alabama to the College Football Playoff in 2023 — just over two months after he was benched and didn’t play in the Crimson Tide’s ugly 17-3 win at South Florida in Week 3.

Behind a resurgent Milroe, Alabama reeled off wins against Top 25 teams Ole Miss, Tennessee, LSU, and No. 1 Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. He also made one of the most memorable plays in Crimson Tide history when he hit Isaiah Bond for a touchdown on 4th and 31 for a last-second win at Auburn (“The Gravedigger”).

Milroe’s critics will point to Alabama’s loss to Michigan in the Rose Bowl of the CFP semifinals, as well as regular-season losses to Texas in 2023, and to Tennessee, Oklahoma and Vanderbilt this past season. Losing to a much different Michigan team in his final college game didn’t exactly help win over any of those critics, either.

During his weekly appearance on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning on Birmingham’s WJOX-FM Monday, SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum was asked by co-host Greg McElroy about criticism of Milroe from Alabama fans and college football analysts alike.

Finebaum called criticism of Milroe “unfair.”

“I believe that’s unfair, Greg. Jalen Milroe did a lot of good things. He’s a quarterback. He’s the face of the program, but ultimately I tend to blame the coaches. If they don’t think he’s capable, then he shouldn’t play. We went through that last year [Milroe being benched]. We didn’t go through that this year.

“But to me, it’s a little bit of piling on. No matter what we say this morning, I’m afraid I know how the narrative is going to be written and remembered because that’s just the legacy of quarterbacks. We tend to remember whether you won a championship or not, whether you fell short in the biggest games. And I think for Jalen Milroe, people will remember the end of the Rose Bowl game and sadly, they will remember the end of the ReliaQuest Bowl game.”

SEC Network host throws fresh dirt on Alabama football, Kalen DeBoer

Asked specifically about Alabama’s 19-13 loss to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl to end the 2024 season, Finebaum said that he felt the loss would “haunt” Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer.

“I don’t think Kalen DeBoer could have dialed up a more inopportune way to finish the season. Had Alabama won, there wouldn’t have been a lot of credit given for the win because of the opponent, but you can’t fight 10 wins. You can live off that. It takes you into the offseason. It gives you some momentum as you’re building your roster toward the upcoming season. But a loss, especially one that looked so inept, I believe is going to haunt Kalen DeBoer.

“And I understand that he isn’t going to get fired, and I think it’s absurd to even have that kind of conversation, but to say he’s on some sort of a hot seat I think is accurate. That doesn’t mean very much, but all it means is people are watching him very closely. And this season, in Year 1, in my mind was a failure because he didn’t make the playoffs. Everyone already knows all the other things so I’ll spare you the stats, but he has a more difficult road ahead based on that loss.”

Finebaum pointed to Nick Saban’s two teams that didn’t qualify for the Playoff in 2019 and 2022 and said that Saban had salvaged momentum by ending those seasons with a win in Alabama’s bowl game: against Michigan in the Jan. 1, 2020, Citrus Bowl and against Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl (New Year’s Eve 2022).

“Nick Saban was very masterful the couple of times in the two seasons he didn’t make the playoffs… by winning that last game and getting momentum. Kalen DeBoer has done the opposite,” Finebaum said.

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Alabama QB Jalen Milroe accepts invite to 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl

QB Jalen Milroe to attend the Reese’s Senior Bowl as he prepares for 2025 NFL draft.

Despite an unfortunate ending to the Alabama Crimson Tide’s 2024 season, it will always be a special year because it was Alabama’s first taste in life after Nick Saban and the beginning of the Kalen DeBoer era. DB Malachi Moore, OL Tyler Booker and QB Jalen Milroe are among a few guys who cemented their legacies in Alabama history by staying through the transition.

As a quarterback and the top returning Heisman Trophy vote-getter from the 2023 season, getting Milroe back on campus was especially a big deal for DeBoer and his staff.

After a 5-0 start that included dominant wins against Wisconsin and No. 2 Georgia, many people discussed Milroe as a top-ten pick in the 2025 NFL draft. Unfortunately, the remainder of the 2025 season was a bit of a roller coaster with four losses and a few abysmal showings.

Milroe is arguably the best athlete in the entire draft class as he had 20 rushing scores this year, but he still has plenty of room for growth as a passer as he finished the season completing 64.3% of his passes for 2,844 yards and 16 TDs to 11 INTs.

Some scouts are still mocking Milroe as a first round draft pick, but I think he will likely be a day two guy.  To help improve his draft status, Milroe will be attending the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, AL.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Jalen Milroe enters the 2025 NFL Draft, will play in Senior Bowl

Alabama QB Jalen Milroe enters the 2025 NFL Draft, will play in Senior Bowl

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe has declared his entrance into the 2025 NFL Draft. It was a widely expected move, though there was some thought that Milroe would stay in school for more lucrative NIL deals than making the jump to the professional level.

“Football has always been my passion, and since I was a kid, I dreamed of competing at the highest level. Through every win, every tough loss, and any criticism along the way, my love and dedication to this game has never wavered,” Milroe said in a prepared social media statement. “Each day, my gratitude for the opportunity to play this sport I love only grows stronger.”

Milroe quickly accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl, which presents the Crimson Tide standout with a great opportunity to showcase his NFL potential. Based on his game film, Milroe can sure use a strong week in Mobile in late January. His athleticism hasn’t always translated into being an efficiently effective quarterback, notably in his final college appearance–Alabama’s bowl loss to Michigan.

Jalen Milroe opts for 2025 NFL draft

Jalen Milroe to the NFL draft … for now. Let’s see if he changes his mind and enters the transfer portal in the spring. This might not be over yet.

Jalen Milroe to USC football? Don’t get your hopes up yet. Milroe entered the 2025 NFL draft on Thursday, two days after a brutal performance for Alabama in a loss to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

We wrote about this topic on Wednesday, before Milroe’s NFL draft declaration:

We can all put two and two together here: Jalen Milroe tanked his NFL draft stock. If he had hoped to be a first-round quarterback, that dream might have died with his turnover-filled effort against Michigan in Tampa. Alabama scored just 13 points, only three in the second half. Milroe did not protect the ball. Milroe made a lot of bad decisions. No NFL scout or talent evaluator could have possibly upgraded him based on that game.

We also have the reality that Jalen Milroe and Kalen DeBoer just didn’t mesh this season. DeBoer got everything he could out of Michael Penix at Indiana and then Washington. The two fit together hand and glove. Milroe just did not grasp what DeBoer wanted to do, and DeBoer’s system did not fit what Milroe wanted to do. It was an oil-and-water pairing. One would have to think that Milroe will not play for DeBoer next year.

It’s clear Milroe was done with Kalen DeBoer and Alabama. Now we need to see what his NFL draft projection is, and whether he stays in the draft or pivots to the transfer portal. Let’s see what happens.

Jalen Milroe declares for 2025 NFL Draft: Could Alabama QB be option for Raiders?

With Alabama QB Jalen Milroe making it official, he immediately becomes a potential option for the Raiders.

The depth at quarterback atop the 2025 NFL Draft got a boost Thursday. Alabama QB Jalen Milroe officially declared for the draft.

The top two quarterbacks in this year’s draft are Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shadeur Sanders. Both QB’s are expected to come off the board in the top five, if not the top three. Leaving the teams outside the top 3-5 teams either taking a player at another position or potentially reaching for a quarterback.

The next two QB’s on the board are Milroe and Georgia’s Carson Beck. And there could be as many as five teams seriously considering taking one of them higher than their draft projections suggest.

Among those teams is the Raiders, who currently are in line for the eighth overall pick and whose range is from 3-10, depending on how things go with them and several other teams in the season finale.

In that range, they will have to give someone like Milroe a very hard look.

Milroe was considered one of the top QB prospects in the country following his redshirt sophomore season, but took a step back this past season. So much so, many thought he might return to school to try and raise his stock for the 2026 Draft. But today he decided being an NFL project in this weak QB class was his best option.

For those who think taking Milroe in the top ten is a mistake because it’s a reach, it’s important to remember everyone said the same about Washington’s Michael Penix and Oregon’s Bo Nix.

Penix was taken at eight overall by the Falcons and Nix was take at 12 by the Broncos. Nix went on to have a fantastic season, finishing third in the race for Offensive Rookie of the Year and Penix was named the starter for the Falcons two weeks ago and the Falcons are 1-1 in those games.

That’s not to say Milroe has that kind of potential of either Penix or Nix, but it does suggest that quarterbacks are not to be viewed the same as other positions in draft projections. They are often taken higher than other positions, because if you hit on one, it’s far more impactful than other position hits.