2025 NFL Draft: AFC coordinator compares Jalen Milroe to Lamar Jackson, Cam Newton despite 'accuracy issues'

With just two days to go before the 2025 NFL Draft, Jalen Milroe’s stock remains one to watch. The former Alabama quarterback is one of the draft’s most interesting evaluations, and an AFC coordinator had some strong comparisons while speaking with NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Pelissero spoke with executives around the NFL about the top quarterbacks in this year’s draft. When asked about Milroe, a coordinator in the AFC pointed out his accuracy issues after throwing 11 interceptions and completing 64.3% of his passes in 2024.

However, the coordinator also noted Milroe’s athleticism. He has the ability to make plays with both his arms and his leg, and the coordinator compared him to a mix between Cam Newton and Lamar Jackson.

“He has a lot of accuracy issues,” the coordinator told Pelissero. “But he’s a freak. He’s the best running quarterback I’ve ever evaluated. He’s like Cam Newton’s power with Lamar’s speed. He can throw the ball down the field – his numbers over 20 yards are good. And he’s a true developmental-type player. He’s electric.”

Milroe threw for 2,844 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2024 while adding 726 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground. On the whole, in his two years as the Crimson Tide’s starting quarterback, he totaled 5,678 passing yards and 39 touchdowns to go with 1,257 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns.

However, the question remains where exactly Milroe will go in this weekend’s draft. Both NFL.com’s Chad Reuter and ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. had him coming in as a second-round pick in their final mock drafts, but there’s been chatter about whether the Pittsburgh Steelers could select the former Alabama star in the first round.

Jalen Milroe will be in Green Bay for the 2025 NFL Draft this week. As for whether he’s worried about sliding down the board a la Will Levis or Aaron Rodgers while sitting in the green room, he kept things in perspective and said he’s focusing on simply hearing his name called to complete his dream of making the NFL.

“I’m not really necessarily concerned about that because I know that it’s all about hearing my name called and seeing the smiling faces of my family members because they know how hard their son has worked his whole life,” Milroe told Jim Rome. “That’s the thing that we’re all excited about, just hearing my name called – whenever that may be. At the end of the day, you still have to put in the work. No matter where you’re placed in the draft, you’ve still got to put in the work. You’ve still got to earn the trust of the coaching staff, you’ve still got to build a relationship with the guys in the locker room.

“So despite anywhere you’re placed on the draft board, it doesn’t matter. It’s all about how hard you work and it’s all about the buy-in process of that period of time. Despite anything, I’m just excited to be able to achieve my dream, which is be an NFL quarterback.”