Is Jalen Milroe draft-eligible? Taking a closer look at Alabama's QB draft prospects

Quarterback Jalen Milroe is in his second season as the starter for the Alabama Crimson Tide. His first year, under now-retired coach Nick Saban, included a rocky start with a defeat to Texas in Week 2 and being benched for a Week 3 game to South Florida.

However, in the end, he redeemed himself by leading Alabama to an impressive victory over the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC championship game and an appearance in the CFP semifinal against the Michigan Wolverines.

This year there have also been some stumbles along the road, with defeats to Georgia and most hurtful of all to Vanderbilt, but overall he seems to be on track to take Alabama to a second consecutive SEC title game and CFP appearance. This year he has been a true dual-threat quarterback and is widely expected to declare for the 2025 NFL draft.

Jalen Milroe's numbers in 2024

So far in 2024, he has thrown for 2,046 yards, with 13 passing touchdowns and six interceptions. While these aren't the most impressive numbers for a quarterback this season, they combine for a respectable 85.7 QBR, which ranks him fifth in the nation. He also has a 67.4% completion percentage.

Furthermore, Milrow has run for 565 yards with 16 touchdowns this season. Both numbers are already better than his 2023 marks (531 yards and 12 touchdowns). Another improvement has been the 16 times he's been sacked. That's on track to be a much lower number than last year's 44 sacks. That shows his improvement in working under and escaping pressure.

How high could Jalen Milroe be drafted in 2025? Looking at Alabama QB's draft stock

Milroe is considered by experts to be a late second-round pick in the upcoming draft, which is a bit of a drop for him compared with his preseason rankings. Back then, he was considered a potential top 10 pick. That's on par with his falling from grace in the Heisman odds as well, with Milroe having been a favorite for the coveted trophy as recently as early October. Now he's outside the top five contenders.

Experts aren't worried about his raw physical ability, which he has demonstrated already. They're rather preoccupied with the fact that he hasn't developed into a more elaborate passer under new coach Kalen DeBoer. Nonetheless, it seems he's yet to grasp the most advanced concepts of the game as he still struggles with coverage identification and accuracy.

Where do you think Jalen Milroe will get drafted next year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.