New England Patriots select Joe Milton in sixth round of 2024 NFL Draft

Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton has been selected by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, going with the No. 193 overall pick.

The Patriots will be getting one of the strongest arms in football.

Milton routinely flashed his incredible arm strength, both in college and in pre-draft workouts including the NFL Combine. He can hit just about anywhere on the field with his arm, a trait that undoubtedly proved tantalizing for multiple NFL organizations.

The veteran quarterback had a lengthy college career, starting off at Michigan in 2018 before ultimately transferring to Tennessee to finish out his career.

He lost out on the starting job to fellow quarterback Hendon Hooker early in the 2021 season, but he eventually served as Hooker’s replacement and did quite nicely for himself.

As a senior in 2023, Milton threw for 2,813 yards, with 20 touchdowns against just five interceptions. He also ran for seven scores.

He’s a player with considerable upside, even if he might need a little more work on his accuracy at the next level. In any case, he has now achieved his dreams, becoming an NFL Draft pick.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Joe Milton

Many NFL Draft analysts are not overly high on Milton as a prospect coming out, in large part due to the aforementioned accuracy concerns.

Couple that with a fairly lengthy track record at this point, and some are unsure if the light will ever snap on for Milton, so to speak.

Writes NFL Network analyst Lance Zierlein on Milton:

“Rare physical specimen with the proverbial ‘arm talent to make all the NFL throws,’ but he’s prevented from doing so by a lack of timing, accuracy and touch. Milton is gifted with a cannon for a right arm and can throw the ball as hard or as far as you want. His fastballs are often inaccurate and difficult to catch for moving targets, and he was wildly inconsistent locating his deep throws.

“He can elude pressure, extend plays and put jaw-dropping highlights on tape, but he’s never been able to mature his game from splashy to consistent. He’s primarily a single-side reader who struggles to improvise with his eyes. The physical ingredients could get him drafted on Day 3, but his lack of development over six seasons discourages his projection.”