It hasn't been the most consistent season for Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, which, of course, has been true for the Crimson Tide as a whole. Milroe came out with a statement win over Georgia back in Week 4 of the college season, posting 374 yards passing, with two touchdowns, and 117 yards rushing with two more touchdowns. That had many draft analysts moving Milroe to the top quarterback slot in 2025.
But Milroe has struggled since. After starting the year with 10 touchdowns and one interception in four games, he has since thrown five touchdowns with eight interceptions. Alabama has gone 4-3 after their 4-0 start.
Despite that, there is no doubt that Milroe has been able to maintain his status as a first-rounder, and his pure athleticism could even keep him in the QB1 spot. At Pro Football Focus, in an article titled, "Cleveland Browns Mock Draft: Alabama QB Jalen Milroe replaces Deshaun Watson," the venerable analysis site sees Milroe landing in Cleveland with the No. 2 pick.
Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe
Will McLelland-Imagn Images
Watson, of course, might well go down as one of the worst contracts in NFL history, a fully guaranteed $230 million payout for a player who has started a grand total of 19 games in three seasons for the Browns and has gone 9-10 in those games. Calling Watson a bust is probably an understatement.
Writes PFF: "The reality that the Browns face is that they simply have to do something at the quarterback position if Deshaun Watson continues to play like this. Through six weeks of the season, he has earned a PFF grade below 60.0 in four of six games, all while averaging $46 million per year. ...
"Milroe will compete with Colorado's Shedeur Sanders and Miami's Cam Ward to be the first quarterback off the board, but as things stand, he is the highest-ranked player at the position on PFF’s Big Board."
Milroe might not be the sure-thing player the Browns want at the position. But starting over with a talented young thrower would, at least, be a start.
