Could Joe Milton III be a hidden gem in the 2024 NFL Draft?

Joe Milton III, QB

Height/Weight: 6-5, 240 lbs

Age: 23.75

College: Tennessee (Transferred from Michigan)

Senior Bowl: Yes

Shrine Bowl: No

Michigan Stats:

Passing: 

Rushing: 

Tennessee Stats:

Passing: 

Rushing: 

Pros:

• Prototypical QB Build
  At 6'5" and roughly 240 lbs, Milton is the ideal size most NFL decision-makers covet for the quarterback position. 
  
  
• Arm Strength
  Milton has unreal arm strength that ranks him among the top in this class in that area. With that being a skill you can't really teach at this level, it'll be held in a high regard by NFL teams. 
  
  
• Suburb Athlete
  Milton is coming off his best season as both a passer and a rusher, setting career highs for both passing and rushing yards and touchdowns. This dual-threat ability is Milton's best asset as a draft prospect because each year, having a QB that can do both becomes more important in the NFL.
   
• Quick Release
  In this year's class, Milton has arguably the quickest release of any QB prospect. Multiple NFL systems prioritize that trait and will help him rise up their boards as a result. 

CoIs: 

• Age
  Milton will already be 24 years old by the time draft night comes around. With him also having multiple areas that need improvements before he will be ready to even compete to take a snap in the NFL, that becomes an even more significant factor. His potential is undeniable, but how old will he be before coming even close to it?
  
  
• Inconsistent Accuracy 
  Milton's arm strength allows him to make some unbelievable throws, but there are just as many instances on film of him missing wide-open targets. He often misses long or throws the ball out of bounds. He will need to develop significantly more touch on his passes before any team will trust him as their starting quarterback. 
  
  
• College Scheme
  An additional hurdle for Milton, on top of his age, is the fact that the offensive scheme he plays in at Tennessee is very different from a pro-style offense. He will have to make a major adjustment to fit an NFL offense, which will take time, but with him being an older prospect, the question is how much time is a team willing to give him. 
  

Player Evaluation:

Milton is one of the most interesting QBs to evaluate in this year's class. He has a massive arm and has proven to be a dual threat with his legs. He will be higher on some team's boards than people will realize. But he comes with a lot of risk, as he will need a lot of work from NFL coaches to get him up to the NFL level. The scheme at Tennessee is a very different brand of football than what Milton will be asked to play in at the NFL level. In my opinion, Milton has more desirable NFL traits than former Tennesee QB Hendon Hooker did, for example, and he was still drafted in the 3rd round of the 2023 NFL Draft. 

Player Comp:

Floor Comp: Cardale Jones
I had a lot of names going through my head, but I came up with former Ohio State QB Cardale Jones. Both bigger bodies and above-average athletes at the QB positions with next-level arm strength. But Jones wasn't able to put it all together at the NFL level and never got an opportunity even to be a team's consistent backup QB

Ceiling Comp: Early Josh Allen 
The Josh Allen comp is going to get brought up for Milton a ton this draft cycle, and while I don't see Milton reaching the heights Allen is currently at, I think the early showing of Allen could be in reach. Still showing the ability for big plays, but not doing so often enough for him to be one of the best QBs in the league. Allen relied on his legs a lot early on while he was developing as a passer, and I think Milton will likely have to do the same. The problem is Milton is probably 2-3 years away from playing at least, which means it may take until he's roughly 29 years old to hit his peak much later than it took Allen.

A to Z Big Board Rankings:

Destin Adams' Latest Big Board: NA (QB 9)

James Foster's Latest Big Board: 167 (QB 9)