Raiders Draft 2025: Jalen Milroe a worthwhile gamble?

Alabama quarterback is an intriguing option to learn under Geno Smith

Geno Smith is the prize both Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll beam about. More so Carroll, who had Smith as his quarterback when the former was the latter’s head coach with the Seattle Seahawks.

Las Vegas swung a trade with Seattle for the signal caller and the veteran is slated to be solve the QB conundrum the Silver & Black have had since the team dumped former long-time starter Derek Carr.

But, it was only a natural question for Carroll on does landing Smith — a quarterback he’s oh so familiar with — alter the Raiders’ draft approach. Namely, is there still a possibility of taking a quarterback prospect as high as the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft?

“Sure. Yeah, yeah. We’re building always. So, taking Geno is an immediate fix for us. It’s going to last us. We’re going to get a number of years from Geno at his very best. He’s healthy and ready to go. He’s as tuned in as he’s ever been,” Carroll began when asked that question at the annual NFL meetings this past Monday. “But that doesn’t mean that we don’t see a guy – there’s some guys coming out that have got tremendous potential, and we’ll just take a look at each spot and the opportunity that’s presented and the choices that we have. But we’re not excluding taking any position at this time.”

Thus, let’s take a look at a prospect who is an intriguing option to be an understudy for Smith: Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, who the Raiders are slated to host for a private visit.

By The Numbers
Jalen Milroe, Quarterback, Alabama

• 2024: 13 games, 205 of 319 (64.3 percent completion rate), 2,844 yards, 16 touchdowns, 11 interceptions; 168 carries, 726 yards, 20 touchdowns
• Career: 38 games, 426 of 663 (64.3 percent completion rate), 6,016 yards, 45 touchdowns, 20 interceptions; 375 carries, 1,577 yards, 33 touchdowns

How He Fits

Smith is the headliner after signing a 2-year contract extension, but Las Vegas’ quarterback room can use an infusion of talent — especially an explosive athlete like Milroe. At 6-foot-2, 217 pounds, and a blistering 4.37-second 40-yard dash time at Alabama’s Pro Day, the 22-year-old brings with him unparalleled athleticism to a Raiders QB position. Smith is an athlete too and can gallop when needed, but the 34-year-old doesn’t have the jets this Alabama product does.

Milroe also has a Howitzer cannon of an arm which will remind Raiders fans the glory days of old where the late great Al Davis preferred the vertical, long-bomb passes that left the opposition gasping for breath. The ball zips off Milroe’s hands with velocity whether he fully steps into a throw or not.

With his arm and athleticism, and Smith entrenched as QB1, taking Milroe in the draft and having him learn behind the starter, Aidan O’Connell, and Carter Bradley (currently the other two signal callers on the roster), gives Las Vegas a different dynamic in the quarterback room.

None of the aforementioned names have the same elite speed and powerful arm, and at age 22, Milroe can learn and develop under Smith while being sprinkled in on designed runs. Milroe has potential to be a short-yardage, red-zone situation nightmare matchup for opposing defenses due to his combination of size, speed, and decisiveness with the ball in his hands.

Strengths

Milroe is equipped with a live throwing arm that can flick the 50 or more yards down the field with ease. His compact release allows him to fire with velocity even in instances where he’s unable to fully step into a throw.

Milroe also has elite speed to breakaway from defenders with his jarring acceleration. This allows him to make a mockery of pursuit angles as he’s able to get out of the pocket, find a lane, and turn on the afterburners as a legitimate threat to take it the house anywhere on the field.

At his size, he’s a quarterback in a linebacker’s body and he’s able to absorb contact and maintain forward momentum. The burst, vision, and balance are the envy of running backs, really.

When protected and comfortable in the pocket, Milroe can read zone defenses to find open targets and has the zip to thread the needle for contested catches.

Weaknesses

A cannon arm and elite speed are great, but quarterback’s make their coin on delivering the football to pass-catching options. This is where Milroe’s biggest struggle lies: Accuracy.

His throws can end up all over the place as his ball placement is erratic on both shorth and intermediate throws. This forces his targets to adjust to the ball in flight which can limit both receptions and yards after catch (YAC) opportunities.

Milroe’s lack of anticipation on routes compound accuracy issues and the absence of diverse delivery — touch and feathering the ball to targets, more specifically are back breaking areas of opportunity.

Disruption is the name of the game for NFL defenses and Milroe struggles in processing and decision-making in both a noisy and clean pocket.

His initial hand-size measurement at the Senior Bowl of 8 ³⁄₄ inches was troubling, but at the NFL Combine, Milroe’s hand measured 9 3/8 inches. Smaller hand size generally results in issues handling and gripping the football in inclement weather.

Projection

Where prognosticators predict Milroe will go are as scattershot as his passes are. Projections have him going in the late first to second and even third rounds.

Las Vegas owns the 37th overall pick in the second round and 68th overall selection in the third stanza. Those to spots may be where the Raiders eye the Alabama quarterback. NFL Draft Analyst Chad Reuter mocked Milroe to Las Vegas with the 68th pick in his four-round mock draft, for example. Reuter predicts the Raiders to take Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty at No. 6 overall; Mississippi cornerback Trey Amos at 37, and Kentucky linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson with the 108th pick in that mock.

Milroe’s ideal situation features a creative play caller who’ll build around his strengths, while also having the patience to develop him into a refined passer. That does sound like Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. And while Greg Olson flamed out as a play caller, he’s a respected quarterbacks coach that can guide Milroe through the process.

No matter where Milroe goes, he’ll need development and refinement as a passer. But with that, the Texas native arrives to the pros with the potential to be one of the most dynamic and dangerous runners at the quarterback position from the jump.