Jalen Milroe’s NFL Combine Performance Highlights His Strengths—But Raises Familiar Questions
The annual NFL Scouting Combine is in full swing in Indianapolis, bringing together 329 of the best draft-eligible players for evaluation. Prospects are put through a rigorous series of tests—running 40-yard dashes, performing agility drills, and bench-pressing 225 pounds—to impress scouts and coaches. However, while the combine serves as an important assessment tool, it often fails to measure the most crucial factor in a player’s success: actual football performance.
For quarterbacks, this disconnect is especially apparent. While highly regarded passers like Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward headline the 2025 draft class, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe is one of the most intriguing prospects in attendance. Milroe, standing at 6-foot-2 and weighing 225 pounds, is arguably one of the most athletic quarterbacks available. His elite physical tools—blazing speed, a powerful arm, and game-changing rushing ability—make him a perfect fit for the spectacle of the combine. However, his struggles with the fundamentals of quarterback play raise questions about his long-term potential in the NFL.
The Jalen Milroe Conundrum
Milroe burst onto the college football scene in 2023 as Alabama’s starting quarterback, displaying both breathtaking talent and frustrating inconsistency. He led the Crimson Tide to the College Football Playoff semifinals in former head coach Nick Saban’s final season, nearly knocking off Michigan before falling in overtime. Despite his raw ability, his weaknesses—accuracy, footwork, and decision-making—remained a concern.
Hopes were high for his senior season under new head coach Kalen DeBoer, but 2024 proved to be a mixed bag. While Milroe improved as a runner, amassing 726 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns, his passing numbers regressed. His touchdown total dropped from 23 to 16, and his interceptions increased from six to 11. SEC defenses seemed to figure out his tendencies, forcing him into difficult situations where his mechanics and decision-making faltered.
Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt summarized Milroe’s unique appeal and limitations:
“He makes hard things look really easy. Like really easy, too easy. Like, ‘Hold on a second. You’re not supposed to be able to do that.’ … He’s immediately the most dangerous player on the field as soon he steps foot on the field. … Milroe is a guy that’s going to be polarizing in this setting because people are going to get mad if you call him ‘just a running quarterback.’ And then if you say, ‘He’s got to work on throwing the football,’ people get all upset.”
A Quarterback in Development
For all his physical gifts, Milroe remains a project. Unlike top-tier quarterback prospects who enter the NFL with polished mechanics and refined passing ability, Milroe will require significant coaching and development. His footwork, rhythm in the pocket, and accuracy on standard dropbacks are all areas that need improvement.
In today’s NFL, mobile quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen have thrived by blending elite athleticism with steady progression as passers. However, those players also possessed more refined passing skills entering the league than Milroe currently does. Any team drafting him—whether in the late first round or the middle of the second—must accept the challenge of developing him into a complete quarterback rather than relying solely on his raw athleticism.
A Combine Star, But What’s Next?
Milroe is poised to impress scouts at the combine. His speed, agility, and arm strength will likely generate buzz, reinforcing his status as an electrifying talent. However, as history has shown—most famously with Tom Brady, who was overlooked at the 2000 combine before becoming the greatest quarterback of all time—judging quarterbacks solely by their combine performance can be misleading.
The team that selects Milroe will need patience, strong coaching, and a long-term vision. If he can refine his passing skills and decision-making, his physical gifts could make him a dangerous weapon in the NFL. But until then, he remains one of the draft’s biggest wild cards—an exceptional athlete still learning how to play quarterback at the highest level.
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