The NFL has seen plenty of success stories of rookie quarterbacks who sat behind veterans, learned the ropes, and eventually thrived. Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes sat out for a year. Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love waited three. Now, it looks like Jalen Milroe might be on a similar path with the Seattle Seahawks.
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In Seattle, Milroe, who got drafted in the third round, has a golden opportunity to develop while backing up Sam Darnold. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say he might be one of the most athletic players in his draft class.
Many scouts projected Milroe to go late in the first or early in the second round. But when that didn’t happen, Seattle capitalized and landed what could be one of the biggest steals of the draft. Still, for all his natural talent, Milroe is a developmental quarterback, needing improvement in many areas.
Milroe is raw and needs refinement, particularly in pocket presence, processing speed, and reading defenses. Fortunately, time is on his side. The Seahawks signed Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million deal this offseason, giving Milroe a valuable window to grow behind an experienced signal-caller.
And, former NFL quarterback Kurt Benkert believes Milroe is in an ideal situation, while stating that the Alabama alum might actually become a better pro than he was a college player.
“Jalen Milroe is going to be a better NFL QB in my opinion than he will have been in college. I think the way the game is moving suits him a little bit better. I think he is going to be a problem in the league,” predicted Benkert.
“And look at how it’s worked out for some of the other teams, look at the Packers. Different profile player, Jordan Love, sat out for a few years, was able to learn and hit the ground running, and got his $55 million a year contract,” added the former Falcons AB.
Seattle’s offensive coordinator, Klint Kubiak, has already praised Milroe’s work ethic in the preseason. The rookie has made a strong impression by showing up early — sometimes as early as 4:30 a.m. — and dedicating extra time to learning the system, studying the playbook, and refining his mechanics.
That’s the kind of effort teams hope to see from a young quarterback, and it’s exactly how you separate yourself in training camp. There’s a sense in Seattle that Milroe might just follow in the footsteps of another former third-round pick who worked his way into stardom — Russell Wilson.
Like Wilson, Milroe has a strong arm, a knack for making plays on the move, and the confidence to lead. While Milroe is the better athlete, Wilson entered the league with a more advanced understanding of defensive schemes and ball placement.
These are the two areas Milroe must improve. With the right mentorship from Darnold and time to grow, he just might. If Milroe can sharpen the mental side of his game and refine what he couldn’t in college, the Seahawks may have found their quarterback of the future.
