Draft analysts just dropped boldest (and worst) Lamar Jackson comp yet

Draft week always brings the energy. But let’s not lose our minds in the process.

Every year around this time, the takes start flying. A quarterback prospect is “the next Patrick Mahomes.” Someone’s “got shades of Tom Brady.” And without fail, someone ends up getting compared to Baltimore's Lamar Jackson—usually with laughable results. Last year it was LSU’s Jayden Daniels—another elite quarterback lazily boxed in as a “running quarterback."

This year? It’s Alabama’s Jalen Milroe who’s getting the Lamar treatment. Actually, scratch that. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Milroe isn’t just comparable. Some coaches and scouts are already saying he's better than Jackson—at least in one area.

Jalen Milroe unfairly draws wildest Lamar Jackson comparison yet

Here’s what Pelissero said on Monday:

"The eye-opening thing that several—not one—several coaches and scouts told me (as I was making calls about all these quarterbacks) is Jalen Milroe is the greatest runner of the football they've ever evaluated at the QB position—not Lamar Jackson—Jalen Milroe is the best runner that they've ever seen."

Ugh.

Let’s not forget that Lamar Jackson—two-time MVP, face of the Ravens franchise, literal rushing record-holder—just broke Mike Vick’s all-time QB rushing record last season. He now sits at over 6,110 rushing yards in just 103 games. That’s 41 fewer than it took Vick. The man is already in a category of his own.

And Browns General Manager Andrew Berry didn’t help when he joked:

“He may be the only quarterback when he gets in the NFL who’s faster than Lamar… Don’t tell Lamar I said that, please.”

Even while slightly joking, this kind of talk feels absurd. Lamar’s not just fast—he’s borderline unstoppable. The speed, vision, change of direction, and ability to turn a broken play into a 50-yard touchdown aren’t just traits. They’re weapons of mass destruction.

Comparisons are always dangerous and mostly unjust. Each player is their own individual. Milroe might have been electric at Bama, but let’s pump the brakes. He hasn’t taken a single NFL snap. For reference, if we're strictly talking about college, both played in 38 games. Jackson ended his college career with 4,132 rushing yards and 50 rushing touchdowns. Milroe ended his with 1,577 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns. Stats never tell the whole story, but in this case, they scream one thing: these two aren’t even in the same conversation.

Furthermore, Milroe ran for a mediocre 4.2 yards per carry, while Jackson ran for 6.3. It's pretty obvious who was the "better rusher" at the quarterback position. Jackson hasn’t slowed down one bit since entering the league—so are we supposed to believe Milroe just leapfrogged him overnight?

Calling Milroe the “best runner ever evaluated” at the QB spot? That’s just reckless. And it's a disservice to both players. It undermines Jackson's success while also putting unfair expectations on Milroe.

So yeah, it’s draft week. Emotions run high, hyperbole runs wild, and wild takes are basically part of the tradition at this point. But let’s not confuse projection with reality. Jackson is still rewriting the book on what it means to be the most electric quarterback the league has ever seen. And until someone steps on an NFL field and actually does it better—week after week, year after year—he’s the standard. Not a comparison point. He's the bar.

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