NFL Draft Profile: QB Jalen Milroe, Alabama

Brown are positioned to know everything they need about Milroe’s ceiling as an NFL quarterback.

The Cleveland Browns face a familiar quandary heading into the 2025 NFL Draft.

After a 2024 season that saw historically horrible play from the quarterback position, the Browns are back to rebuilding the room to try and become relevant in the quarterback-heavy AFC.

Unlike past seasons, the Browns have a valuable asset to use as they currently hold the No. 2 overall selection. This is a rare opportunity for a team that has only been in a position to draft a quarterback that high in the first round once since taking Tim Couch No. 1 overall in 1999.

In a draft projected to not be deep at quarterback, picking second is not a bad place to be if the team’s evaluators can hit the mark, so let’s start the fun by looking at Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe.

Name: Jalen Milroe

Position: Quarterback

Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 223 pounds

College: Alabama Crimson Tide

2024 Passing Stats: 13 games, 64.3 completion percentage, 2,844 passing yards, 16 passing touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 148.8 QB rating

2024 Rushing Stats: 726 rushing yards, 4.3 yards per rush, 20 rushing touchdowns

Career Passing Stats: 38 games, 64.3 completion percentage, 6,016 passing yards, 45 passing touchdowns, 20 interceptions, 156.8 QB rating

Career Rushing Stats: 1,577 rushing yards, 4.2 yards per rush, 33 rushing touchdowns

Relative Athletic Score: N/A. (Will update once athletic testing is performed.)

Average “Big Board” Position As of Publishing Date from Mock Draft Database: 18th overall

The Draft Network’s Grade/Round Value: Day 2 – Winning Starter. (Note: That was before last season.)

What an Expert is Saying

Ian Valentino at A to Z Sports:

Jalen Milroe is the x-factor of this draft class. His mental processing and throwing motion need work for him to reach his ceiling as a star NFL quarterback. However, Milroe avoids turnovers and plays to his strengths well enough to believe he can be functional while those things improve. He’s so explosive as a power runner and downfield thrower that there’s reason to believe a strong structure can ease him into an ideal developmental path. It’s easy to justify taking Milroe early because his tools are so good and there’s so much room to continue growing.

What an Expert is Saying (Bonus Round)

Kyle Crabbs at The 33rd Team:

Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe is a developmental talent. He boasts some elite physical ability — he’s the best running quarterback we’ve seen come through the process in several seasons and offers blistering speed in the open field with impressive contact balance.

A powerful arm and a sharp, snappy release anchor his pass skills. His growth as a passer was evident in 2024, but his consistency in ball placement and touch will need considerable work before he’s in a position to reach for the upper levels of his potential as an NFL quarterback.

Thanks to his undeniable physical ability and highly regarded football character, it won’t be surprising if Milroe is drafted earlier than his readiness to play would suggest.

Fit with the Browns

There is probably no team better positioned to evaluate Milroe’s potential than the Browns. Milroe is one of seven quarterbacks scheduled to take part in the Reese’s Senior Bowl in February, where the Browns will have special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone serving as head coach of the American team, while defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire will be the defensive coordinator of the National team.

Cleveland also promoted Tommy Rees to offensive coordinator last week. Rees was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Crimson Tide in 2023, a season where Milroe had 23 touchdown passes against just six interceptions in helping lead Alabama to the College Football Playoff.

Milroe was a full-time starter the past two seasons in the toughest conference in college football, so he knows how to step up his game against top competition. But he is also still developing as a pocket passer, so a team that drafts him may need to have some patience to allow him to grow into the position and be sure they have the right “bridge quarterback” on the roster to navigate any growing pains.

If that happens, Milroe could be the type of game-changing quarterback the Browns have been looking for thanks to his big-play ability as a runner.

Browns Player Drafting Could Impact

Take your pick of any one of the quarterbacks that saw action for the Browns in 2024. The only one who is a lock to be back is Deshaun Watson, but that is solely because of his guaranteed contract, not for anything he has done on the field the past three seasons.

Priority: High. As in “turn it up to 11” levels of need at the position.

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