Story over the weekend that Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe has been invited to attend the NFL Draft later this month. This was surprising, as I hadn't really considered the possibility of him being a first-round pick.
Clearly I need to give the idea some credence, since the league doesn't tend to bring in college players that don't have a strong possibility of getting drafted in the first round. That's apparently what they're hearing from NFL teams; Milroe has a good chance of being selected either in the first round or certainly by the second.
As a passer, Milroe was nothing special last year. He averaged 219 passing yards, with just 16 touchdown passes in 13 games.
But as a runner, he was one of the most productive college quarterbacks in recent memory. He averaged 56 rushing yards and ran in 20 touchdowns. That's a total achieved by only three other quarterbacks selected in the first or second round of the draft this century; he's one of just five quarterbacks selected that early to run for more than 15 touchdowns their final year of college. You'll definitely recognize all of the other quarterbacks to do it. (Table sorted by rushing touchdowns.)
| FINAL COLLEGE SEASON, 1ST- AND 2ND-ROUND QBS, 2000- | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Rd | Player | Pass | PaTD | Int | Run | RuTD |
| 2011 | 1 | Cam Newton | 2854 | 30 | 7 | 1473 | 20 |
| 2011 | 2 | Colin Kaepernick | 3022 | 21 | 8 | 1206 | 20 |
| 2020 | 2 | Jalen Hurts | 3851 | 32 | 8 | 1298 | 20 |
| 2025 | ? | Jalen Milroe | 2844 | 16 | 11 | 726 | 20 |
| 2018 | 1 | Lamar Jackson | 3660 | 27 | 10 | 1601 | 18 |
| 2015 | 1 | Marcus Mariota | 4454 | 42 | 4 | 770 | 15 |
| 2021 | 1 | Trey Lance | 2786 | 28 | 0 | 1100 | 14 |
| 2010 | 1 | Tim Tebow | 2895 | 21 | 5 | 910 | 14 |
| 2009 | 1 | Josh Freeman | 2945 | 20 | 8 | 404 | 14 |
| 2019 | 1 | Kyler Murray | 4361 | 42 | 7 | 1001 | 12 |
| 2017 | 1 | Patrick Mahomes | 5052 | 41 | 10 | 285 | 12 |
| 2006 | 1 | Vince Young | 3036 | 26 | 10 | 1050 | 12 |
| 2024 | 1 | Caleb Williams | 3633 | 30 | 5 | 142 | 11 |
| 2024 | 1 | Jayden Daniels | 3812 | 40 | 4 | 1134 | 10 |
| 2021 | 1 | Zach Wilson | 3692 | 33 | 3 | 254 | 10 |
| 2012 | 1 | Robert Griffin III | 4293 | 37 | 6 | 699 | 10 |
| 2005 | 1 | Alex Smith | 2952 | 32 | 4 | 631 | 10 |
| 2024 | 1 | Drake Maye | 3608 | 24 | 9 | 449 | 9 |
| 2023 | 1 | Anthony Richardson | 2549 | 17 | 9 | 654 | 9 |
| 2017 | 1 | Deshaun Watson | 4593 | 41 | 17 | 629 | 9 |
| 2014 | 1 | Johnny Manziel | 4114 | 37 | 13 | 759 | 9 |
| 2021 | 1 | Trevor Lawrence | 3153 | 24 | 9 | 203 | 8 |
| 2017 | 2 | DeShone Kizer | 2925 | 26 | 9 | 472 | 8 |
| 2009 | 2 | Pat White | 1842 | 21 | 7 | 974 | 8 |
| 2001 | 1 | Michael Vick | 1234 | 8 | 6 | 617 | 8 |
| 2002 | 1 | Joey Harrington | 2415 | 23 | 5 | 56 | 7 |
| 2016 | 1 | Carson Wentz | 1651 | 17 | 4 | 294 | 6 |
| 2014 | 1 | Blake Bortles | 3581 | 25 | 9 | 272 | 6 |
| 2011 | 1 | Jake Locker | 2265 | 17 | 9 | 385 | 6 |
| 2024 | 1 | Bo Nix | 4508 | 45 | 3 | 234 | 6 |
| 2011 | 2 | Andy Dalton | 2857 | 27 | 6 | 435 | 6 |
| 2019 | 2 | Drew Lock | 3498 | 28 | 8 | 175 | 6 |
| 2007 | 2 | John Beck | 3885 | 32 | 8 | -8 | 6 |
| 2006 | 1 | Matt Leinart | 3815 | 28 | 8 | 36 | 6 |
| 2001 | 2 | Marques Tuiasosopo | 2146 | 14 | 11 | 394 | 6 |
| 2020 | 1 | Joe Burrow | 5671 | 60 | 6 | 368 | 5 |
| 2018 | 1 | Baker Mayfield | 4627 | 43 | 6 | 311 | 5 |
| 2017 | 1 | Mitchell Trubisky | 3748 | 30 | 6 | 308 | 5 |
| 2018 | 1 | Sam Darnold | 4143 | 26 | 13 | 82 | 5 |
| 2018 | 1 | Josh Allen | 1812 | 16 | 6 | 204 | 5 |
| 2021 | 1 | Justin Fields | 2100 | 22 | 6 | 383 | 5 |
| 2011 | 1 | Blaine Gabbert | 3186 | 16 | 9 | 232 | 5 |
| 2022 | 1 | Kenny Pickett | 4319 | 42 | 7 | 233 | 5 |
| 2007 | 2 | Drew Stanton | 1807 | 12 | 10 | 445 | 5 |
| 2002 | 1 | David Carr | 4299 | 42 | 7 | 97 | 5 |
| 2001 | 2 | Drew Brees | 3393 | 24 | 12 | 546 | 5 |
I cropped the table at 5 rushing touchdowns, which leaves off 2025's other top prospects -- Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders and Jaxson Dart, each of whom ran for 3-4 TDs.
Milroe gets regularly compared to one of his predecessors at Alabama, Jalen Hurts, who also ran for 20 TDs in his last college season (after transferring to Oklahoma). Hurts also entered the league best known as a prolific runner, but his passing numbers in that final season were a lot better than Milroe's.
Milroe's best game (as a passer) last year was in a 41-34 win over Georgia. He was 27 of 33 for 374 yards and 2 TDs, plus another 117 yards and 2 TDs on the ground. But he struggled in losses at Tennessee and Oklahoma, throwing 1 TD and 5 interceptions in those games, completing only half his passes. The latter loss was the game that kept Alabama out of the College Football Playoff. He wasn't impressive in a narrow win over South Carolina or the Bowl loss to Michigan. It was those games that had me thinking he was more of a Day 2 pick than someone who would be viewed as a franchise quarterback.
But as the other guys at the top of the table prove (Newton, Hurts, Jackson and Kaepernick, for a while anyway), guys can develop. Some teams are breaking down tape and perhaps thinking they can make Milroe into the next Hurts or Jackson.
Seems like people should be thinking of Jackson when considering where Milroe will be selected -- a team trading into the end of the first round to select him, getting that fifth-year option. At 6-2 and 217 pounds, he's about the same size as Jackson, a few pounds lighter than Hurts. Bring him along slowly, like the Eagles did with Hurts, and who knows.
With what he'll do as a runner, a guy who could pay off big in fantasy leagues if he gets into lineups.
--Andy Richardson
