Mel Kiper Jr. evaluates NFL Draft stock of Jalen Milroe exiting Senior Bowl

Former Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe participated in the Senior Bowl this past week as he continues to try to improve his stock ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.

ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper spoke on First Draft Monday afternoon about Milroe’s performance at the Senior Bowl and where his stock is at coming out of the all-star game. According to Kiper, NFL teams have differing opinions on how high Jalen Milroe should be selected.

“Yeah, it just depends on who you talk to,” Mel Kiper said. “It’s potential, rather than what you’re seeing right now. You’ve gotta project, and you’ve gotta say, ‘Where will he be in our offense, with our coordinators, our players, if he keeps developing and evolving as a quarterback?’”

Jalen Milroe completed 64 percent of his passes this past season, throwing for 2,844 yards with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

He is certainly not the most polished passer, but he is an excellent runner, which can cause problems for defenses.

Jalen Milroe rushed for 726 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2024, and some teams reportedly believe he has a bright future if he can continue to develop and become a more consistent passer.

“The inconsistency we saw at Alabama, we see again now down in Mobile,” Kiper said. “But the talent’s there. And the want to is there, the desire’s there, the love for the game is there. So I think for Jalen Milroe it’s about projecting. It’s not what you see. It’s not who you are. It’s who you will be, and that’s how you have to look at it with Jalen.” 

There are clearly two quarterbacks viewed as being above the rest for the 2025 NFL Draft in Cam Ward from Miami and Shedeur Sanders of Colorado, but the QB3 spot seems to be up for grabs.

Mel Kiper was asked if Milroe would be his third quarterback off the board as things stand.

“Is he in line for QB3? For me, probably not,” Kiper said. “Would he be 4 or 5? Yea, but there’s really four quarterbacks, maybe five, that are vying for that QB3 spot.

“You want to kind of do it in pencil. You do the pen in April. For right now, in early February, it’s pencil. And for right now, it’s safe to say he’s in the discussion. But for me, QB3’s a little rich.”

Field Yates analyzes where Jalen Milroe could be selected in 2025 NFL Draft

Fellow ESPN NFL Draft analyst Field Yates also offered his thoughts on Jalen Milroe ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Yates was in Mobile for the Senior Bowl last week and shared his takeaways after watching Milroe throughout the week.

“Having spent the week closely following Jalen Milroe… and also talking to people that were at the Senior Bowl and gathering opinions of people that might be in draft rooms of teams that are going to eventually take a quarterback in this year’s class, I think it’s fair to say that Jalen Milroe, more than any prospect in this class, is going to be beauty in the eye of the beholder,” Yates said.

Some teams are apparently a big fan of Milroe’s potential, but others seem to think that his limitations as a passer will keep him from being a successful NFL quarterback.

“They may say, ‘Mel, this just isn’t a player that we can develop into a starting quarterback. We would not take him until Day 3 of the NFL Draft,'” Field Yates said.

“There might be other people who say, Despite the consistency, or lack thereof as a passer, he might run a 4.35 in the 40 if he runs at the combine. He had a fantastic game against Georgia early in the season. We have seen the rocket arm on vertical shots down the field. And man alive is he a difference maker as a runner.’ And that might be good enough for a team that has patience on its side and says ‘Maybe that’s a top 45 or 50 pick.’”