So, picture having the kind of speed that makes defensive coordinators lose sleep at night. That’s Jalen Milroe for you. The man’s got wheels that’ll leave a cornerback in the dust and an arm strong enough to launch missiles. But here’s the kicker—being fast doesn’t mean jack if you can’t hit a receiver in stride. And that’s exactly why he’s catching some tough love from analysts as he eyes the NFL Draft. On paper, Milroe’s a freak of nature. He lit it up at Alabama, especially against LSU and Georgia, showing off that game-breaking talent. But for every jaw-dropping play, there was a head-scratcher—overthrows, bad reads, and a habit of bailing out with his legs instead of standing tall in the pocket. That’s why analysts are telling Milroe to peep the game tape of a $260M NFL star—someone who’s cracked the code of blending raw talent with quarterback smarts. If Milroe can flip that switch, he might just be the next big thing in the league.

On April 1, Joel Klatt jumped on The Herd with Colin Cowherd and laid it out plain and simple: “I think that Jalen Milroe suffers from what a lot of guys suffer from that are supremely athletically gifted at this position in particular,” Klatt said. “It is both a blessing and a curse to be as gifted as he is running the football.” The comparison? None other than Lamar Jackson, the man who snagged that $260 million, 5-year Ravens contract a couple of years back. Jalen Milroe has to take a page from Lamar’s playbook. He pointed straight to the Ravens’ QB’s early years, back when his legs were the answer to every broken play. Sound familiar?

“When you have that trump card and that get-out-of-jail-free card, it stunts your growth as a pure passer,” Klatt continued. “So he now doesn’t just need to use the schematics of the game and the control in the pocket and his ability to control things with his mind—not that he can’t; I’m just saying you don’t have to do that when you can just leave the pocket and beat everybody.” Translation? If Milroe keeps running first and thinking later, he’s going to stay stuck in the same cycle of ‘elite athlete, questionable QB.’ And NFL teams? They don’t draft “projects” in the first round. And scouts saw those same issues pop up at his Pro Day.

Jalen Milroe was supposed to silence the doubters with a polished performance. Instead? More of the same. Deep bombs? Gorgeous. Short and intermediate throws? Wobbly, mistimed, and—at times—just plain ugly. Jalen Milroe’s biggest weakness is his tendency to bail when the pocket collapses. That’s fine in college, but in the NFL, defenders will exploit that every time. The truth is, scouts aren’t exactly losing their minds over him. They’ve seen this movie before: a dual-threat QB with rocket legs but shaky mechanics. It’s a hard sell, no cap. And when you roll through his 2024 stats—2,844 yards, 16 TDs, and 11 picks—you’re not exactly seeing “franchise QB” lighting up the scoreboard.

Look, Lamar Jackson had those same criticisms early on. But he evolved. He became a legit passer. In 2024, Lamar threw 41 touchdowns and just four interceptions. That’s the blueprint. That’s the standard. And if Jalen Milroe wants to get anywhere near that $260M level, he better start taking notes.

Jalen Milroe is sending a big warning to all 32 teams

But don’t get it twisted—Milroe isn’t backing down. In fact, he’s doubling down. His confidence, his growth, and his raw measurables have catapulted him into the top-five QB discussion. He’s no longer just a freak athlete playing quarterback—he’s looking more and more like an NFL quarterback with freakish athleticism. And he’s letting everyone know it.

“I am capable of doing it,” Milroe said on NFL Network’s Path to the Draft. “One thing that’s for certain is that no matter what it is… I am capable of doing it.” He’s not just growing physically. Mentally, he’s stepping up too. One of Milroe’s biggest strengths? Adaptability. He’s already played under three different offensive coordinators at Alabama—Bill O’Brien, Nick Sheridan, and Tommy Rees. That kind of turnover would derail most college QBs, but Milroe used it as a learning experience.

“I think what factors into why I made the decision to go out into this draft was my experience having three different coordinators,” Milroe explained. “No matter where I go in the future, I’m gonna have to learn a new offense as well as playing for a different coach and understanding how they do football.” That’s exactly why teams see him as a developmental prospect with long-term starter potential.

He’s shown he can adjust and lead, even in the SEC pressure cooker. And if he can take that Lamar Jackson leap, he might just be the steal of the draft. But here’s the thing—NFL teams don’t hand out $260M contracts to just “potential.” They pay for results. And right now, he’s labeled as an “elite project” rather than an “elite prospect.”