NFL Draft guru addresses whether teams will ask Alabama QB Jalen Milroe to switch positions

Don't expect NFL teams to ask Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe to make one major change before the 2025 NFL Draft in April.

Teams have recently asked athletic QBs like Milroe to switch positions. In an interview with the Baltimore Ravens website in June 2018, seventh-year QB Lamar Jackson said a Los Angeles Chargers scout asked him if he would consider working out at WR during the scouting combine.

In a Thursday interview with "The Pat McAfee Show," ESPN's Field Yates said he doesn't expect teams to ask Milroe to do the same.

"We're all-in on QB for Jalen Milroe," Yates said at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. "I understand why people ask these questions. It's a natural one to ask since he might be as fast as any running back he's on the same field with this afternoon. But it's all been quarterback-focused for Jalen."

Milroe has elite speed. Citing Telemetry Sports, Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy shared that Milroe clocked 22.5 MPH on a 72-yard touchdown run in a 42-13 win over LSU on Nov. 9, 2024. That equates to a 4.3 40-yard dash. Unsurprisingly, he used his wheels to rush for 20 touchdowns in 13 games this past season. 

However, he must become a more polished passer to succeed in the NFL. This season, Milroe completed 64.3% of his passes for 2,844 yards, 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

"There was a throw [from Milroe] on the first day of practice here that was maybe the best throw from any QB ... it was a dart to [Utah State WR Jalen Royals]," Yates said. "And then the next rep, Jalen Milroe, has a ball that lands in the dirt. You're saying to yourself, if you could do the first thing at a more consistent level, there'd be no question that you'd be in the first-round conversation."

The concerns about his passing could push Milroe out of the first round. According to Tankathon, the Las Vegas Raiders will take him with pick No. 37 in the second round. 

Still, that doesn't mean Milroe should stop playing QB. He may need time as Jackson did. The Ravens QB sat for most of his rookie season before becoming a two-time MVP.