At 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, Milroe ran a 4.37-second 40-yard dash at Alabama’s Pro Day. That’s indeed very impressive. But is it impressive enough for him to be compared to Lamar Jackson?
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Well, that’s exactly what Cleveland Browns’ GM Andrew Berry did. At the pre-draft press conference, Berry said, “It may be the only quarterback when he gets in the NFL who’s faster than Lamar Jackson.”
“[Milroe has] rare physical gifts. He’s strong, he’s fast, he’s got a really strong arm. And any system that you build around him, you want to take advantage of the fact that he has things that no other players at the position have,” Berry said further.
Jackson didn’t run the 40-yard dash at the 2017 NFL Combine but reportedly ran an unofficial 4.34 at Louisville’s Pro Day before his rookie season. Chad Johnson, for one, was not a fan of the comparison.
“Don’t compare anybody to Lamar Jackson. It’s disrespectful. Lamar Jackson is different, and even putting him in the same conversation as Jalen Milroe — as great as he is — is mad disrespectful. Even in a joking manner,” an animated Ocho said on Nightcap.
Can it be argued that he could rival Jackson’s stats one day? Sure. But like any other draft prospect, it’s probably not a good idea to be making overarching comparisons to one of the best quarterbacks in the league so young. Regardless, Milroe has already been embracing the comparisons, something he talked about in January at the Senior Bowl.
“As a young quarterback that’s aspiring to go to the NFL, that definitely puts a smile to my face, and I definitely love watching Lamar. Secretly I’m actually a Ravens fan. I grew up a Ravens fan, so I pull for the Ravens,” he said at the Senior Bowl in January.
Milroe was Alabama’s starting quarterback for two seasons, establishing himself as a dynamic dual-threat playmaker. In 2023, he finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting after throwing for 2,834 yards with 23 touchdowns and six interceptions, while also rushing for 531 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The 2024 season saw the product complete 64.3% of his passes for 2,844 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He also led the team in rushing with 726 yards and set a new career high with 20 rushing touchdowns.
Milroe’s collegiate career concluded with a performance in the ReliaQuest Bowl, capping four years at Alabama with career totals of 6,016 passing yards, 45 passing touchdowns, and 20 interceptions, along with 1,577 rushing yards and 33 rushing touchdowns.
