Where Should Jalen Milroe Get Drafted?

Jalen Milroe, Alabama's starting quarterback over the past two seasons, will have to wait a little longer than he had hoped to hear his name called by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Milroe was not drafted in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday, although that didn't stop him from celebrating with his two former teammates, Tyler Booker and Jihaad Campbell, who did hear their names called within the first 32 picks of the 2025 NFL draft.

Milroe, who passed for 6,016 yards and 45 touchdowns while rushing for 1,577 yards and 33 touchdowns in four seasons at Alabama, has a unique skillset that not many athletes, much less quarterbacks, do. Milroe's ability to launch the ball deep downfield while also threatening defenses with his running ability had scouts raving about his athleticism with cautious optimism.

Now, Milroe is the player with the highest upside left on the board. Where should Jalen Milroe be drafted on night two of the 2025 NFL draft?

Cleveland Browns

Picks on night 2: 33, 36, 67, 94

The Browns are in need of a quarterback after Deshaun Watson suffered a setback in his Achilles injury recovery this offseason. While Joe Flacco, who re-signed with Cleveland, is a viable option for the short term, the Browns will likely target a young, high-upside quarterback on night two. With two picks in the second and third rounds, Cleveland has plenty of capital to move around should they desire the Crimson Tide signal caller. Milroe has worked with the Browns' offensive coordinator before, with Tommy Rees serving as Alabama's offensive coordinator during the 2023 college football season. Cleveland has offensive weapons in Nick Chubb at running back and Jerry Jeudy at receiver. Jeudy, a former Alabama prospect himself, just caught 90 passes for 1,229 yards and four touchdowns in his first season in Cleveland.

Las Vegas Raiders

Pick on night 2: 37, 68

The Raiders traded for Geno Smith this offseason and extended his contract, reuniting him with former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. Smith, who is 34 years old, sat in Milroe's position in the 2013 NFL draft. He was invited to the green room before falling out of the first round. He can mentor Milroe in the latter years of his career while Milroe learns from one of the better offensive minds in the league, in Carroll. When Milroe does take over in Las Vegas, the Raiders will likely have one of the top running backs in the draft in their 2025 first-round pick, Ashton Jeanty, and one of the best tight end duos in Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer.

Los Angeles Rams

Picks on night 2: 46, 90

The Rams, led by head coach Sean McVay, traded back in the first round to allow the New York Giants to select Jaxson Dart. The Rams secured a second-round pick in the deal, which they could use on Milroe. The Rams met with Milroe multiple times in the pre-draft process. Matthew Stafford, the current starting quarterback in LA, is 37 years old and in the twilight of his career. McVay and Stafford can mentor Milroe while the Crimson Tide signal caller gets acclimated to the league. Once Milroe takes over, the Rams will no doubt have a vaunted passing attack in Puka Nacua (2,476 yards and nine touchdowns through his first two seasons) and a stable running back room with Kyren Williams (1,299 rush yards, 14 TD in 2024). McVay is viewed as one of the best offensive minds in the NFL, and if anyone can translate Milroe's skill set to the NFL, it would be him.

New Orleans Saints

Picks on night 2: 40, 71, 93

The Saints will need to address the quarterback position in the draft with the uncertainty of Derek Carr's future, due to a shoulder injury. With the Saints drafting a top-tier offensive tackle at pick nine in Kelvin Banks Jr., they could feel confident in taking a rookie quarterback to learn under Carr and likely 2025 starter Spencer Rattler, without putting the pressure that a first-round pick would have. Milroe would provide a valuable weapon to an RPO attack for the Saints, pairing him with running back Alvin Kamara (950 yards in 2024). The Saints have one of the top young receivers in the NFL, Chris Olave (2,565 yards, 10 TD in three years), who will make Milroe's life easy when he eventually takes over in New Orleans.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Picks on night 2: 83

If Milroe has to play early in his career, then Pittsburgh would be by far the best option. A stout defense can sometimes help a young quarterback more than a top pass catcher, and the Steelers always have a formidable one. Milroe, however, would have both should he land in Pittsburgh with the Steelers, having George Pickens (900 yards in 2024) and the Steelers trading for DK Metcalf (992 yards in 2024) this offseason. Mike Tomlin was heavily interested in Milroe at the Senior Bowl, the NFL Combine, and Alabama's Pro Day in Tuscaloosa. Pittsburgh may need to mortgage more capital to land Milroe, as it is unlikely he is still on the board at pick 83 (Third Round).

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.