Football’s collectively on pause right now, taking a much-earned breather. The Super Bowl and Natty champions are crowned, celebrated, and cherished. But the show stays running- quite literally. Focus has swiftly pivoted towards the NFL Draft. The Combine down in Indy fed the masses, but there’s still one course before the mains are served on April 24. Pro Day is here, and it’s as important a data point in the evaluation process as ever. A ton of intriguing prospects with very liquid draft grades didn’t partake in all the drills in Indy. Choosing to have that extra bit of preparation until their respective Pro Days. One such player is Jalen Milroe.

One look at him, and you’d know this is someone bound to test off the charts in the physical prognosis, such as the 40-yard dash. Milroe didn’t run the dash at the Combine. So now that he’s back in the homely surrounds of Tuscaloosa, did he live up to the billing? Or did the lights get too bright? Milroe’s Pro Day has been a mixed bag all things considered, an extension of his collegiate career. 

To contextualize Jalen Milroe as a player and prospect, let’s hark back to the aforementioned Super Bowl. Not trying to flare up the PTSD within the Chiefs faithful, but reminiscing over that night in NOLA makes sense when you think about it. Philly’s success is down to their collective greatness, the sum of their parts. Nick Sirianni and the front office assembled a stacked roster of Avengers not dependent on one player. That said, the Super Bowl MVP was still the quarterback. Reiterating how the position remains quintessential no matter how great the supporting cast is. Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is a great case study when dissecting Milroe.

Entering the draft, Hurts was an athletic, run-first, Day 2 quarterback deemed replaceable by his alma mater, Alabama. Someone who came to the NFL with more questions than answers. All those facets are directly transferable to Jalen Milroe. Without even alluding to the first name, there are a bunch of similarities. Milroe, at this current juncture, is also trending towards being a Day 2 pick. Now, Jalen Milroe’s got his fair share of fans. But even the most ardent ones can’t argue against him being an unknown quantity. So much so that even the size of his hands is uncertain!

Adding to his mystique and uncertainty is the fact that Milroe started merely 27 games for Bama and was atop the depth chart for just 2 years. For a player with a small sample size, the Pro Day becomes all the more vital. At least Jalen Milroe understood the assignment when it came to his 40-yd dash. After clocking in somewhere between 4.4-4.5s on his 1st attempt, Milroe hit the nitrous oxide for attempt #2.

He’s clocked in at 4.37s. For a quarterback of his frame, that’s immense. Scouts and front-office brass will take well to this time. We know what running a good 40 can do for your draft stock, just ask Anthony Richardson. Milroe’s time is actually the record amongst all QBs in this draft class. That said, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. He was there to prove more than just how well he can run the dash. During his passing drill, let’s just say Milroe didn’t “let the naysayers know”

Although a legit dual threat, Jalen Milroe’s forte and USP is what he can do with his legs. Micheal Vick, Cam Newton, Lamar Jackson and even Jayden Daniels. Including, of course, the aforementioned Jalen Hurts. This archetype of quarterback has thrived in the modern NFL. However, these comparisons to revered icons and unprecedented rookies are way premature. Milroe’s got a long way to go to compliment his arm with his legs. Unfortunately for him, this become blatant during the Pro Day.

Jalen Milroe’s passing drills leave a lot to be desired, undercutting his brilliant dash time

The “Sidelines- Bama” X handle relayed an excruciating development from Pro Day to fans of Jalen Milroe and their 62k followers. “Jalen Milroe’s deep ba*l to Ryan Williams just hit the ceiling and landed about 5 yards behind #2″ they wrote. That’s not great. Throwing to a former teammate who you already share a certain chemistry with and still going astray isn’t quite excusable. Especially when his deep passes are actually considered somewhat of a weapon In his arsenal. Even draft analyst Todd McShay recently said Milroe possesses the “most beautiful deep ba*l of all the quarterbacks in this class. [But is] the least accurate within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage in this class,”

The aforementioned X handle also said something that alludes to the chemistry he, at least in theory, should have with his Bama receivers. “Chris Doering continues to rip Jalen Milroe during Alabama Pro Day coverage, claiming that his throws look impressive today only because of his training script he has put together with Jordan Palmer.” Jordan, younger brother of USC legend and NFL vet Carson Palmer, is the director of QB development for the XFL. He’s been training with Jalen Milroe since Bama’s season ended. A former pro receiver himself turned broadcaster, Doering perhaps sees through the mirage.

As pessimistic as it comes across, there is a bit of an Anthony Richardson feel to this. AR had a historic pre-draft process which saw his stock soar so high that the Colts, perhaps mistakenly, took a wild punt  on him at #3 overall. Richardson’s collegiate career was a very small sample size, same as Jalen Milroe. His pro career, by extension, hasn’t transpired all that well and this Hail Mary-type risk hasn’t worked out. Franchises will be wary about getting carried away by that 40-yd dash this time around. Milroe can take some solace from knowing the other QBs in this class aren’t pulling any trees either.