Patriots QB Joe Milton shows off arm with 40-yard TD bomb to JaQuae Jackson

Joe Milton III didn’t hesitate to introduce himself to the end zone at the NFL level. During the New England Patriots’ preseason showdown against the Carolina Panthers, the former Tennessee star threw a 38-yard dart to JaQuae Jackson to boost the Patriots to a 17-0 lead.

The touchdown was Milton’s first of the NFL preseason. Afterward, Milton was all smiles, landing a chest bump with fellow QB Jacoby Brissett and hitting a stylish handshake with Jackson. For Milton, the touchdown may be the first of many.

After spending three seasons at Tennessee, Milton was selected with the No. 193 overall pick by the New England Patriots in the 2024 NFL Draft. Milton has already garnered loads of attentions for his powerful arm and promising displays at Patriots practices.

Joe Milton with the 🚀🎯 for the @patriots TD!

📺: #CARvsNE on @nflnetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/VtHbpnA0ri

— NFL (@NFL) August 9, 2024

In fact, The Herd host Colin Cowherd even claimed Milton has the potential to swipe the Patriots’ starting spot.

“Drake Maye sounds like it’s not going well in New England,” Cowherd said on his show last week. “According to Michael Holley, someone I know, trust and respect, he said, ‘I went to practices, I wanted him to be Justin Herbert and Josh Allen, but what I saw, was the ghost of Mac Jones. He couldn’t do anything right.’ 

“There’s another story that Joe Milton, that Milton has a ‘wow’ factor,” Cowherd continued. “And everybody’s looking and thinking, is the sixth-round guy, better than the first-round guy.”

“Drake Maye, at his best, was a project… but when you enter a defensive culture, with a defensive coach, they have no play-makers, don’t be shocked if Joe Milton wins this job, or gets a lot of snaps this year.”

Joe Milton described as ‘mesmerizing’

A report Cowherd undoubtedly read from The Boston Globe’s Ben Volin last week said that it is Milton “wowing” at quarterback at Patriots camp, not Maye. 

“Through four weeks of spring practice and two days of training camp,” Volin wrote, “(Milton) has been mesmerizing.”

Volin also described Milton as “an athletic freak,” with Milton listed at 6-foot-5, 246 pounds.

“He is the one with the extraordinary arm strength, and the tight, quick release,” Volin wrote, “launching 70-yard bombs and zipping lasers to the sideline with an effortless flick of the wrist. Maye can make all the throws, but not like Milton does.”

Despite his high praise for Milton’s practice performances, Volin also specifically said he doesn’t believe the takeaway should be that the former Vol will beat out the first-round pick.

“This is not meant to start a controversy or imply that Milton is better than Maye,” Volin wrote. “There is more to playing the position than raw athletic talent (ask JaMarcus Russell, or Tom Brady for that matter)… But in these early practices, Milton, not Maye, is the quarterback that you can’t take your eyes off.”

On3’s Nikki Chavanelle also contributed to this article.