Patriots deal 2024 sixth-round pick to Giants’ NFC East rival
Many New York Giants fans have banged the drum this offseason for the team to acquire Joe Milton from the New England Patriots as a potential quarterback of the future. Well, that dream has now been dashed as the Patriots have traded Milton to the Dallas Cowboys along with a seventh-round pick in exchange for a fifth-rounder.
Milton, a sixth-round pick by the Patriots a year ago, will now back up Dak Prescott with the Cowboys.
Dianna Russini reported that “multiple teams” were interested in Milton. She did not specify if the Giants were among those teams.
Milton opened eyes in Week 18 by completing completing 22 of 29 passes (75.9%) for 241 yards and a touchdown as the Patriots upset the Buffalo Bills. New England, though, drafted Drake Maye No. 3 overall last season and he is their quarterback of the present and future.
Milton played collegiately at Tennessee. His arm was never in question pre-draft, though he could do the things an NFL quarterback needs to do was.
Here is Greg Cosell’s scouting report on Milton before the 2024 draft:
Milton will likely be a polarizing prospect as NFL teams evaluate him and envision his transition to the next level. Milton ran one of the purest versions of the Air Raid passing game, with an emphasis on no-huddle, fast-tempo, wide-spread formations and pure progression reads. The QB is not taught to understand the subtleties and nuances of specific defenses and coverages and a high percentage of the throws are pre-determined. There will be significant questions and discussions about whether Milton has or can develop the needed elimination and isolation traits needed to work effectively between the numbers and the hashes.
Can Milton throw with needed anticipation and timing? That question needs to be satisfactorily answered. Teams must determine whether he can throw with any sense of timing and efficiency into tighter zone windows.
Tennessee’s passing game featured a high percentage of pre-determined throws and Milton’s 2023 tape showed numerous examples in which he threw to the wrong receiver based on the coverage. But that was the play call, and he threw it. Milton will have to be introduced to NFL passing concepts and progressions. He will also see defensive fronts and coverage structures that will be brand new to him.
