Quarterback Jalen Milroe can run, and run exceedingly fast. This was the case in college at the University of Alabama, and it could be the case in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks. Milroe is fast for any level.
The question is how accurately he can throw the ball in short and mid-range situations. Milroe is a fantastic athlete, but job one for an NFL QB is clearly being able to throw the ball well to any part of the field. Milroe has the arm strength to do that, but his mechanics are iffy right now.
The same was said of Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen when he entered the league. He had a terrific arm and the ability to escape would-be tacklers, but could he ever throw the ball on point? The question remained even after Allen had a rookie season where he completed 52.8 percent of his throws and had more interceptions than touchdown passes.
Jalen Milroe could out to be the Seahawks version of Josh Allen
Allen kept working and developing his game, though, and by his third season he was completing nearly 70 percent of his passes. In 2024, he was named the NFL MVP. This was his seventh season in the league.
Milroe could certainly follow the same path as Allen. He is shorter than Allen, but both have good arms and elite athleticism. Can Milroe work hard enough, and have the correct coaching, so that by his third or fourth season he is a very capable QB? Why not?
The college statistics of Milroe and Allen are quite similar. In his first full year as a starter at Wyoming, Allen threw 28 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions. His final year as a starter, he digressed a bit, and had 16 TD passes and six picks.
In Milroe's first season as the starter at Alabama, he had 23 touchdown passes and just six interceptions. He digressed a bit in the final season as the starter, too. He threw 16 touchdown passes and 11 picks. Milroe did have a better quarterback rating than Allen while he was playing in a far more difficult conference.
Allen's yards per rush in college were 3.2, and he ran for 12 touchdowns. Milroe averaged 4.2 yards per carry, but he had 32 touchdown runs in his final two seasons.
This is not to say Milroe will be better than Allen, but that he could follow the same path to success. The most significant difference is that Seattle is unlikely to force Milroe into action early as the Bills did Allen (Sam Darnold is going to start for the Seahawks in 2025), but Milroe could be close to a Pro Bowler by year four.