Seattle Seahawks GM John Schneider said at the NFL Scouting Combine that at some point the draft board would fall his way, creating the right time for his franchise to select a quarterback.
During his 15 years as Seattle’s top personal man, Schneider had taken a QB just twice: Russell Wilson in the third round of the 2012 draft and Alex McGough in the seventh round of the 2018 draft.
Well, on Friday night, Schneider made it a third time, selecting Alabama product Jalen Milroe with the No. 92 overall selection in the third round. An athletic dynamo who needs seasoning as a thrower, Milroe’s electric ability as a runner likely reminds Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald of his time with two-time MVP Lamar Jackson when Macdonald was the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens.
Milroe, the fourth quarterback taken in this year’s draft, had a pre-draft visit with the Seahawks. He has a long way to go before he’s as efficient of a passer as Jackson. But Milroe should get that time to develop with new Seattle offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
The Seahawks already have their starting quarterback in Sam Darnold, whom they signed in free agency to a three-year, $100.5 million deal that includes $55 million in guaranteed money. Seattle also brought back Drew Lock in free agency to back up Darnold and have made last year’s backup, Sam Howell, available for a trade.
Milroe performed well at his pro day, running a 4.40-second 40-yard time, which would have been the fastest of any quarterback at this year’s combine. He’s an explosive athlete and hard worker who showed leadership skills at Alabama, and the Seahawks are taking a chance that they can improve his accuracy issues and throwing mechanics.
But Milroe’s superpower is his ability to make things happen with his feet. He finished his career at Alabama with 1,577 rushing yards and 33 rushing touchdowns. He totaled 12 rushing touchdowns of 10-plus yards in his final season, the most by a quarterback in the past 25 years.
“He’s going to give the Seahawks an element of offense that nobody else in this draft can give anybody,” said Nick Saban, Milroe’s former coach at Alabama. “This guy’s fast, he’s explosive. And he can throw the ball. He’s a great deep-ball thrower. He just needs some refinement and consistency in the passing game, and he can be an outstanding player.”
Wilson, the last quarterback selected in the third round by Seattle, provided elusiveness and the ability to make big plays with his feet from the quarterback position. With the success around the league of Jalen Hurts and other quarterbacks who can run, like Jayden Daniels and Josh Allen, Milroe adds another dimension to a Seattle offense that wants to get back to running the football.
“Take less sacks, play on time and be me,” Milroe said when asked by reporters to evaluate his game. “That’s the area of growth when it comes to being me. I’m not one-dimensional at the quarterback position.
“I’m a problem-solver. I’m a student of the game and I love football.”
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on X at @eric_d_williams.
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