What Alabama QB Jalen Milroe Aims to Prove at the 2025 NFL Combine

INDIANAPOLIS — Every prospect walks into the pre-draft process trying to prove they're worth drafting. The same goes for Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, who's in a very unique situation for his position.

Milroe is extremely versatile on his legs and while passing the ball, but he wasn't always on the mark this season for the Crimson Tide. Regardless of his play, Milroe wants to work on connecting with a team and its scouting department before they talk about who he is as a player.

“My overall goal is getting in front of these teams, being able to talk to them,” Milroe said. “It’s all about relationships, number one, and also talking ball.”

Having a person-first draft prospect is going to be refreshing for some teams and their scouting departments. Milroe loves to talk about football and is clearly an expert in diagnosing play calls and defense, which will help his case for a team taking him earlier.

“During that time frame, it’s all about talking x’s and o’s, explaining how I see football, what are my favorite plays, distinguishing defenses,” Milroe said.

Having his knowledge and ability to articulate words on his position is going to give teams a reason to give Milroe a look. He's also aware that his intelligence gives him a boost in meetings with teams.

“That’s the biggest thing, they want to see your knowledge, they want to see you always involved in each pre-snap and post-snap read and I’m able to do that,” Milroe said.

At points this season, Milroe struggled in the decision-making process after the snap. Part of that may be because of his lack of starting experience, but he had another season as the Crimson Tide's starting quarterback during the year prior.

His 11 interceptions threw many Alabama fans off, especially because his best moments at the quarterback spot were electric. He did throw 16 touchdowns and ran for 20, doing most of his scoring while past the line of scrimmage.

Some players are students of the game, another concept that applies directly to Milroe. He also is honest with himself, knowing that he has room to improve but has areas of his game that placed him in this moment.

“I love football. I love everything about it,” Milroe said. “I know that where I’m at today, I’m going to be even better [at] this time next year.”

Not only is Milroe a high-intelligence player, but he also is selfless. He wants to help his team win at any cost and is also aware of his strengths and weaknesses, while being willing to improve in those areas to aid in victory.

“Everything I try to do is for the better of the team,” Milroe said. “ Not being one-dimensional when it comes to physical attributes on the field. There’s a lot of things I can improve on, but there’s definitely a lot of things that I can say that I do.”

That's certainly the truth. Milroe's ability to change games by using his legs and extending plays is at the top of his skillset and not many in the pool of quarterbacks entered in the 2025 NFL draft can do the same. That chip on his shoulder is something he carries, along with winning experience.

“I’m cool with being underrated,” Milroe said. “I played in the hardest in the country. I played against the number one team in the country, the number one defense in the country. So if I lacked knowledge, I wouldn’t be able to win big games.”

Underrated or not, Milroe is on the radar of NFL scouts. Many have asked about his ability to stick at the quarterback spot and have brought up the possibility of making a position switch to receiver or running back, but Milroe appears to be locked in on throwing the ball.

There is a role on an NFL team for Milroe, because of his athleticism. If he can hone in on his accuracy and controlling his arm, he may be a steal as a mid-round selection.

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