The Seattle Seahwks took a course correction on offense this offseason, signing quarterback Sam Darnold after trading Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders, but, the former No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft in the midst of a late-career renaissance might not be the only quarterback who lines up behind center in Seattle this season.
While it’s easy to suggest the Seahawks selecting former Alabama quarterback Jaen Milroe with the No. 92 overall pick in the third round of this spring’s NFL Draft as a developmental prospect with an eye towards the future, it may be foolhearted to dismiss the potential he plays a role on Seattle’s offense in 2025.
NFL Media’s Gennaro Filice lists Milroe as one of his favorite picks of the entire draft, noting recent reporting that the Seahawks could deploy a package of plays for their incoming rookie, immediately.
“In an underwhelming QB class,” Filice writes of Milroe. “With mixed opinions beyond No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward, it felt like the smartest approach could be placing a bet on Milroe’s raw traits at some point on Day 2. That’s exactly what the Seahawks did, waiting until late Friday night to nab the Alabama product with the pick they acquired in the Geno Smith trade.
“Milroe already has a trump card: his electric running ability. While arm strength isn’t an issue, accuracy is — he needs ample time to work on the finer points of quarterbacking. But this is a long-term gamble on upside that I support. And in the meantime, Ian Rapoport told us to expect a Milroe package to supplement Sam Darnold’s conventional quarterbacking. Yes, please!”
Given Klint Kubiak’s run-based system, turning Milroe and his athleticism loose could throw open the Seahawks’ playbook, take some pressure off Darnold, and offer a chance to get the rookie quarterback on the field sooner than some might have expected.
Seattle Seahawks QB Jalen Milroe Scouting Report
The Seahwks are betting big that Darnold is primed to build on the most impressive season of his career, last year in Minnesota, but Milroe’s value in the third round may have been too much for general manager John Schneider and Seattle to overlook.
Milroe, 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, passed for a career-high 2,844 yards with 16 touchdowns to 11 interceptions, before an underwhelming performance during the Senior Bowl tanked his draft stock to be point he was available to the Seahawks in the third round.
“Milroe is an explosive athlete who is very capable outside the pocket,” NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein writes of Milroe. “But he lacks accuracy, touch and decision-making when he’s inside the pocket. A lack of anticipation and timing leads to interceptions and contested throws to intermediate areas of the field. He has an NFL arm, but he might need to fine-tune his footwork and delivery to improve accuracy on all three levels. He can get through his reads when he’s confident and feels protected but becomes predictable and easier for defenses to manipulate when he’s rattled.
“He’s built like a Will linebacker, runs like a receiver and is a threat to hit the home run on called runs and scrambles. Milroe was a much better deep-ball passer in 2023, but his 2024 regression makes it harder to project success from the pocket at a high enough rate to become a capable NFL starter.”
Milroe’s mobility could set the stage for the Seahawks getting him on the field for a package of gadget plays, especially in the running game, but he may need to season and develop as a passer if he’s going to develop into Seattle’s long-term solution at quarterback.
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