NFL insider pushes back against idea of Steelers drafting Jalen Milroe with No. 21 pick

Jalen Milroe might be a good fit for the Pittsburgh Steelers, if the team wasn’t currently in win-now mode, according to Mike Tannenbaum. The ESPN analyst and former GM likes Milroe as a player and what he could do in Pittsburgh.

But as it stands, the Steelers are trying to return to the playoffs and only have Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson on the roster as far as quarterbacks. Putting Milroe on an offense that, albeit has DK Metcalf, George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth, doesn’t seem like a good idea.

If the Steelers could afford to take Milroe later, it’d be a wise decision. But as Tannenbaum put it, it’d be an “inconsistent” decision.

“Right player, wrong round,” Tannebaum said on Get Up. “You know, we talk about floors and ceilings. He has a high floor. He has 77 touchdowns between passing and right. He has a ton of ability, and the ceiling is very high. But right now, from the pocket, his completion percent is just average and needs to get better. Greeny, when you’re the Steelers and you pay $30 million a year and a second round pick for DK Metcalf, you want to win right now. 

“Jalen Milroe is a win tomorrow quarterback. And that’s why, to me, it’s very inconsistent to take him at 21 and give up a second round pick for Metcalf.”

According to NFL insider Jeremy Fowler, the former Alabama QB1 may need to find himself in the right situation to succeed at the NFL level. Honing in on his throwing capabilities will be paramount to that effort along the way.

“He’s an early day two pick, and there could be maybe a surprise if he slides or jumps into that late first-round area because the upside is tremendous,” Fowler said during SportsCenter on Sunday morning. “I talked to his quarterback coach, Jordan Palmer. He said that he is a high achiever and a high competitor. There’s the two things you want in a quarterback.”

To whichever team lands his services later this week, they’ll be drafting a quarterback that posted his best career numbers this past season. He combined for 3,570 yards of total offense and 36 total touchdowns, including a career-high 20 rushing scores this past season. Milroe also threw for 2,844 yards on 205 of 219 attempts, including 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.