“I didn't lose a SEC game”: Jalen Milroe breaks silence on questions surrounding his football IQ

Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe has not gotten as much attention as many of his counterparts have had heading into the 2025 NFL draft. Some analysts view Milroe as the third-best QB behind Miami's Cam Ward and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders. However, others have ranked Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart and Texas' Quinn Ewers, among others, ahead of him.

One of the biggest criticisms of Milroe has been his football IQ. Many pundits are concerned that he will be unable to perform and make quick decisions with the pressure from an NFL defense. Milroe spoke at the NFL Combine on Saturday, refuting these criticisms.

"I'm cool with being underrated," Milroe said to reporters. p"I play in the hardest conference in the country. I played against the number one team in the country, the number one defense in the country. So, if I lack knowledge, I wouldn't be able to win big games.

"In 2023, my first year starting, I didn't lose a(n) SEC game and was playing a lot of different defenses, a lot of things that was unraveled when it came to the game planning and a lot of things I pour into that people don't see."

Jalen Milroe's hands grew since his last measurement at the Senior Bowl in February

Jalen Milroe participated in the Senior Bowl on Feb. 1. As part of the event, his measurements were taken. At the time, his hands were measured at 8 3/4 inches. That was a disappointing measurement for Milroe because the consensus among NFL scouts is that the minimum hand size for an NFL QB is nine inches.

However, they have grown just 28 days after his hands were measured. When measured at the NFL Combine, his hands were 5/8 of an inch bigger, coming in at 9 3/8 inches.

That measurement gives him the same hand size as Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, and bigger hands than Miami's Cam Ward, Oregon's Dillon Gabriel and Ohio State's Will Howard.

While it is not unheard of that a player could hit a growth spurt at age 22, it is unlikely, especially in such a short period. However, it's likely that Milroe did not spread his hands fully when he was measured at the Senior Bowl, knowing that the only measurements that matter are the ones at the NFL Combine.