Mel Kiper is considered the pioneer of the mock-drafting practice. The original draftnik. Doubt he knew that sort of chaos he was spurring onto the sports realm. Mock drafting, and all its iterations, divide fans, stakeholders, and players alike into two factions. With some overlapping in the middle, sort of like a Venn diagram. While some consider it futile, others soak in all the hypotheticals and pipedreams, while aware that mocks don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. So what happens when this middle pack, the one most pragmatic, gives its verdict on a player’s stock? Jalen Milroe’s stock has fluctuated all over the draft board throughout this process. Now, the people have had their say.

Every football fan, whether a casual or a diehard, has at some point come across Pro Football Focus’ mock draft simulator. It’s been a feature of NFL Draft content for a while. Many people who find mock drafting to be a fun activity simulate it themselves. PFF has just aggregated every single simulation that has gone through their website. They’ve then prepared a list of the biggest risers, in terms of average position, between February 2nd and April 7th. The results are pretty telling. After all, it’s a microcosm of what the masses think of certain prospects. QB Jalen Milroe, as polarizing a prospect as any, has made his way into the shortlist of players whose stock ascended the most over this period of time.

When the initial data was recorded, Jalen Milroe had an ADP (Avg. Draft Position) of 94 in the simulator. As of April 7th, he’s soared all the way to 65. That rise shows that people are warming up to Milroe. He’s gone from a consensus 3rd-rounder to a 2nd-rounder. But right off the bat, 65 still feels pretty low. Reporting and general discourse around Milroe suggest he’s trending towards being one of the first picks on Day 2 of the draft. Perhaps in that 33-40 range. Heck, there’s even been a suggestion he could sneak into round 1. In fact, Milroe’s own actions have fanned the flames of this theory.

The green room on draft night is a palpable atmosphere unlike anywhere in the world. If you could bottle up the stress that reverberates across that room, the sweat dripping down those foreheads, you could solve the world’s energy crisis. Renewable energy, cyclic every April! A player sitting in that green room corresponds to the idea that they’re getting picked in Round 1. Or at least they’ve reason to believe so. Remember Will Levis? Or Aaron Rodgers even? Whether it’s a good call or not, Jalen Milroe has signed up for the most rollercoaster evening of his life. Not only has he been invited to the exclusive green room on Day 1, but he’s also accepted the invite. 

Unless Milroe and his camp are privy to something we don’t know, he could be in for a long night. There’s a rationale for picking Milroe in round 1 – PFF itself presented it. “Milroe is the most physically gifted quarterback in the 2025 draft class, but he is still far too inconsistent in when and how he delivers the football. In a perfect world, he would be drafted with a plan to let him sit and develop,” reads an excerpt on the website.

Milroe is an athletic specimen who’s very potent at moving the chains with his legs. His rushing threat is off the charts. However, that arm is still a work in progress. He throws a sublime deep b–l, but accuracy in short and intermediate yardage is a concern. Raw and malleable is how you’d describe Jalen Milroe. Pay particular heed to the “he would be drafted with a plan to let him sit and develop” bit, though.

Jalen Milroe linked to the Raiders in a Geno Smith succession plan

When minority owner Tom Brady confirmed he’d be looking over footballing activity, everyone thought the Raiders were going to draft a quarterback. Usher in a new era with a fresh face. Shedeur Sanders’ personal links with Brady made him, at least initially, a great possibility. But the operative word here is initially. The Raiders have since traded for Geno Smith and signed him to a two-year, $75m million extension. This means there’s no need for a QB in the immediate. However, it does open the door to the Jalen Milroe sweepstakes. 

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, on SportsCenter, has claimed, “[The] Las Vegas Raiders, I know, are on Milroe’s radar because they have Geno Smith…[they] would be a team he would love to go to. To slide behind Smith for a couple of years and learn.” he added. The Raiders have been heavily linked with RB Ashton Jeanty for their 6th overall pick. But in the scenario that Milroe’s on the board in round 2, he does become an enticing option. A vet, such as Geno, who has risen through adversity in his career, can really aid Milroe’s development. Fowler elaborated further on him as a prospect,

“[Jalen Milroe is] looking at this as sort of an early Day 2 proposition. But he could sneak into the late first round if somebody loves him enough,” Fowler said. “A lot of teams have done serious homework on him. He probably has the highest upside, if you can get around the accuracy issues.” That’s almost verbatim what every analyst thinks of Milroe right now. Very high ceiling, but the floor is a bit low currently. But when push comes to shove on draft night, that ceiling could propel him into the first round. Which, again, is more viable than it seems, owing to his physical presence there. 

The NFL doesn’t want players to be left stranded in the green room- it’s not a good look for them. Milroe accepting the invite doesn’t seem like much, but it is. Jalen Milroe’s rise on the mock simulator can’t be a bad thing. Things are clicking into gear for the quarterback. This will be one of the most fascinating side plots on April 24th.