On 3/27 the University of Tennessee held its annual pro day for upcoming draft prospects to display their talent before the NFL Draft. Joe Milton had an incredible showing on his pro day. This should raise his draft boards but just how far is the question.
Joe Milton’s early career
Joe Milton started his colligate career at the University of Michigan. He spent three years at Michigan in total. The first two years he did not start and saw very little playing time, then in his third year, he finally got the starting role. Unfortunately for Milton, the first year he was the starter was when COVID-19 shut down the world. Along with only playing six games due to COVID-19, Milton also struggled with injuries during 2020.
Tennessee
Milton then decided to get a fresh start for 2021 when he transferred to Tennessee. In his first season at Tennessee, he played more of a change-of-pace quarterback in different offensive sets. It seemed likely that he would play the same role in 2022. Starting quarterback Hendon Hooker unfortunately tore his ACL in the middle of the season which let Milton get some playing time. He showed flashes of future talent with an absolute cannon of an arm. In 2023 Hooker had left for the NFL which left the starting job for Joe Milton.
After his showing at the end of the 2022 season, people were excited to see Milton play in 2023. The Tennessee team never really lived up to the hype in 2023. The volunteers finished 9-4 on the season after their 11-2 record in 2022. While having a great season in 2023 Milton never really showed that he could be a high draft pick. He threw for over 2,800 yards and 20 touchdowns while only having five interceptions.
2024 Offseason
As the 2023 season ended Joe Milton declared for the 2024 NFL Draft. Once he declared he was projected to be a day-three pick which means he could be picked anywhere from the fourth to the seventh round. As the draft cycle continued, it seemed Milton was going to be drafted in the sixth or seventh round of the NFL draft. Fortunately for Joe Milton, he would be able to showcase his skills at the combine in March. At 6’5 and 240 pounds, Milton was slinging 70-yard bombs to other prospects.
Flash-forward a month when the University of Tennessee held its pro day for its prospects. Here, Milton would get his final shot to show scouts he could play in the NFL. One clip of Joe Milton in particular has gone viral from his pro day. The clip showcases Milton heaving a massive deep ball around 80 yards down the field and once it is completed, he proceeds to do a backflip.
Now that teams have seen what Milton’s arm and athleticism are capable of, teams should be looking to select him earlier in the NFL draft. Joe Milton has gone from a projected seventh-round pick to maybe sneaking into the fifth round depending on how the quarterbacks go off the board. Hopefully, Milton can go to a team where he can learn and maybe get some starting time because who doesn’t want to see him sling the ball 80 yards down the field in the NFL?
If you are looking for more backstories and profiles on NFL draft prospects, follow me on X @ChaseGrimm28. If you are just looking for more football content, make sure you check out Gridiron Heroics.
