Jalen Milroe, a third-round draft pick for the Seattle Seahawks in the 2025 NFL draft, should be a minicamp, training camp, and preseason star. His athletic ability is greater than that of most NFL veterans, and he should shine when teams are not scheming against him and he is playing against backups.
For fans, it is going to be easy to misread the way Milroe plays in the preseason because if he doesn't stand out then, he certainly wouldn't when the real games begin, and he is going to stand out. The quarterback can run extremely well, has a strong arm, and has a high football IQ.
He proved that in minicamp, too. After getting reps mostly with the third team and against the third team defense, Milroe showed that he was getting a grasp on new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's playbook, as well as having improved accuracy on his throws, even compared to May's rookie minicamp.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald gives Jalen Milroe a reason to smile during minicamp
This isn't based on a reporter's point of view, but Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald. Macdonald told the rookie as much during minicamp, and Milroe simply shot the coach a beaming smile. Milroe knows he still has a lot to learn, but at least he knows the coaching staff has noticed his improvement.
Macdonald has made it clear that there will be no quarterback controversy this year for Seattle. Sam Darnold and Drew Lock were signed in free agency, and Darnold will definitely be QB1. If he falters badly or gets injured, his replacement would probably be Lock and not Milroe.
The third-round pick out of Alabama still needs to prove he can read defenses well, not throw behind receivers, understand when to run and when to throw on RPOs, and be in full control of Kubiak's offense.
That is difficult for any rookie, but especially one who threw five touchdown passes and 10 interceptions in SEC play last year. The SEC is basically a minor league system for the NFL, so if Milroe can be productive passing there, how can he be immediately in the NFL?
Still, Macdonald's on-field comments about how quickly Milroe is evolving are promising, and maybe the rookie will be ready to take over sooner rather than later. Darnold signed a three-year deal, but with no guaranteed money in years two and three.
If he regresses to his pre-2024 level, which he easily could, as that has been his only good season out of seven in the league, then Milroe might get some meaningful snaps later in the 2025 season. If his play implies he can be productive, he might find himself as QB1 for the Seahawks in 2026.