"There’s no reason Jalen Milroe can’t be Jalen Hurts" - NFL coordinator delivers his verdict on Alabama QB

According to Sports Illustrated NFL insider Albert Breer's article on Tuesday, an unnamed AFC coordinator believes that Alabama's Jalen Milroe is the only quarterback in this year's draft class with truly elite skills. He also thinks that Milroe has the potential to be like another former Alabama football quarterback, Jalen Hurts.

“For me, there’s no reason Milroe can’t be Jalen Hurts," the AFL coordinator said. "In a bad quarterback class, big picture, he’s the only guy who has a truly elite ability. I know how bad he looked at times throwing, but he might be the best quarterback runner I’ve ever evaluated. He’s a better runner than Lamar Jackson was in college."

Milroe took over as Alabama's starting quarterback in 2023 following Bryce Young's departure. He has been compared to Hurts, who played for Alabama from 2016 to 2018 before moving to Oklahoma for the 2019 campaign.

The Philadelphia Eagles selected Hurts with the 53rd overall pick in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft. Since joining the league, the 26-year-old quarterback has already achieved a lot, including winning the Super Bowl in February and earning the Super Bowl MVP award. He has also been named to two Pro Bowls and one Second-Team All-Pro.

Given that Milroe and Hurts have similar physical characteristics and are both dual-threat quarterbacks, making their comparison logical. Milroe, at 6-foot-1 and 217 pounds, closely matches Hurts, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 223 pounds.

The playing styles of both quarterbacks are remarkably similar. But compared to Hurts, Milroe is the more athletic player. In 2024, Milroe passed for 2,844 yards, 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He demonstrated his effectiveness as a rusher by adding 20 touchdowns on the ground and 726 rushing yards.

Milroe's NFL trajectory remains uncertain, but Hurts' path shows success is not immediate. Hurts was Carson Wentz's backup in his rookie season before taking over as QB1 in his second season, where he had mixed results. He made a significant improvement in his third season by throwing for 3,701 yards and 22 touchdowns and rushing for 760 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Jalen Milroe's NFL draft projection

Jalen Milroe has received a lot of attention in the last few weeks of the 2025 NFL draft cycle. He appears to be in the second tier of quarterback prospects in this draft class, after Cam Ward of Miami, Shedeur Sanders of Colorado and Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss.

Milroe might be the fourth quarterback chosen in the 2025 draft, likely in the second round. The draft begins on Thursday, April 24, with Rounds 2 and 3 on Friday, April 25 and Rounds 4-7 on Saturday, April 26.