SEAHAWKS DRAFT A QB!

The Seahawks took one of the most divisive prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft

The Seattle Seahawks drafted a quarterback with the 92nd pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Or did they?

With the 92nd pick, the Seahawks swung for a home run and drafted Jalen Milroe out of Alabama. Milroe joins Seattle’s first second round pick Nick Emmanwori as 99th-percintile unique athletes that you will only see once every 100 or 500 prospects. There is nobody in the draft like Milroe.

For many fans, that unique ability to run like Derrick Henry from the quarterback position is the reason that Milroe is such an exciting prospect to add to Seattle’s roster. The rest of the fans are sprinting in the other direction because Milroe also throws like Derrick Henry.

I’M JUST JOKING!

But seriously, the Seahawks didn’t draft Jalen Milroe because they expect him to compete with Sam Darnold for the starting job or even against Drew Lock to be the backup. Milroe’s ability to lead an offense as a quarterback at the NFL is simply not there right now, and you could question if he was even able to do it at the college level.

Milroe’s passing numbers for Alabama last season were not good:

But on the other hand he is possibly the second-best runner from the quarterback position in the NFL as of Friday night next to Lamar Jackson and/or Justin Fields…if not the best once we actually see Milroe in action as a pro. If we see Jalen Milroe in action.

Because drafting Milroe is a true “lottery ticket” pick in the third round simply due to the fact that so many people — coaches, execs, scouts, fans — do not see a future for him as a passer.

That being said, there are few players in the NFL who look as electric as Milroe when he’s running with the football. Notice I said few “players” and not just quarterbacks. Milroe has all the tools and make-up to be a dynamic weapon for Klint Kubiak’s offense in the mold of “What if Taysom Hill was the best athlete on the field for either team and not dramatically overpaid?”

Milroe is 6’2, 217 lbs and he ran a 4.40 40-yard dash at the Alabama pro day, with some unofficial times going as high as 4.37. That’s faster than most NFL running backs and many of the league’s best wide receivers.

Which is probably worth noting because Milroe’s future with the Seahawks could end up with him doing more as a runner than as a passer. This is not to say that Milroe could “never in a million years become a quarterback” because the clock just started on Kubiak and QBs coach Andrew Janocko to get to work on developing his skills INSIDE the pocket just started; Milroe can hardly be that much behind someone like Anthony Richardson in terms of development:

PFF rates Milroe’s velocity and distance on his passes as a 9 out of 10!

They are surprisingly not as low on his other skills as I assumed:

But the reason that Seahawks fans should be REALLY EXCITED right now (even though many will feel that the third round is too high for a passer who can’t pass well enough) is that he could potentially start scoring touchdowns as soon as 2025.

I would not be surprised if Milroe is getting touches inside the 10-yard line next season. Milroe calls his rushing ability a “superpower”:

"I don't consider it a challenge; I consider it a superpower," Milroe said on "Good Morning Football." "It's unique. Everybody wishes they had my superpower of having my legs and my arm. So why do I use that as pressure against myself because someone doesn't like it? If you don't like it, stop it."

We’ve talked a bit this year about how Kubiak could be looking for a wildcat-y type player to run a few “trick plays” — something that I do not think should be overlooked as a gimmick given the immense success that the Philadelphia Eagles have had with a similar mindset over the past 8 years — and Milroe is as good as it gets in this draft for a quarterback that could be immediately tricky.

Here is the scouting report on Milroe from NFL Draft Buzz’s Wyatt Brooks:

Jalen Milroe enters the NFL as the most physically gifted quarterback in this class – a walking highlight reel who can score from anywhere on the field with either his arm or legs. Yet his game presents a fascinating paradox: a quarterback who can drop perfectly placed rainbows 50 yards downfield but routinely sails basic swing passes and crossing routes. This Jekyll and Hyde accuracy profile, particularly his alarming inconsistency in the short-to-medium range, means teams must have a comprehensive development plan before calling his name on draft day.

His concerning hand size measurement (8⅞ inches) amplifies the risk factor, potentially explaining some ball security issues and raising legitimate questions about his ability to grip and control the football in cold, wet environments. Teams in northern, outdoor stadiums must factor this physical limitation into their evaluation. The organization that selects Milroe is betting on ceiling over floor, understanding they're drafting a developmental project who might need a season of clipboard duty to refine his mechanics, footwork, and processing speed.

Milroe's ideal landing spot features a creative play-caller willing to build around his strengths initially – designed QB runs, play-action shots, and simplified half-field reads that maximize his arm talent while minimizing complex progressions. Smart organizations will implement a Lamar Jackson-style rookie package that leverages his athleticism immediately while gradually expanding his passing responsibilities. With his military family background, academic achievements, and natural leadership qualities, Milroe has the intangibles to maximize his physical gifts – but only if paired with a patient, developmental staff committed to refining his raw throwing mechanics. Teams that can stomach the early growing pains could find themselves with a franchise-altering talent capable of stressing defenses in ways few quarterbacks can.

IT’S OKAY TO BE EXCITED

Jalen Milroe will not end up starting for the Seahawks at quarterback in 2025, and probably not 2026, and there’s a good chance that will never happen.

I understand why there will be fans who believe that this pick was wasted because of the distance that Milroe has to travel to become an NFL starting quarterback — and at pick 92, Milroe is the sixth-highest drafted QB in Seahawks HISTORY — but at least there is upside with this decision that goes beyond the need for him to develop into a good, accurate passer who can improvise and audible and make checks and read a defense and so on… Milroe is already more than a quarterback.

Or it may be better to say that Milroe is already something besides a quarterback. He may not be a quarterback exactly. He may never be a quarterback. And at 92nd overall, even in a depressed draft class, that’s a huge swing to take with one of your draft picks.

However from the fan perspective, keep this in mind:

There are few times in our lives as fans that we get to be surprised. Few times that we have no idea what’s going to happen next. Most of the moves that teams make are fastballs straight down the middle, which is where you get your Grey Zabel, Nick Emmanwori, and Elijah Arroyo picks, all of which fit a need with really good prospects and serve a well-defined purpose with a clear path ahead for each of them.

And that’s great!

But when life gives you a rare screwball, don’t be afraid to simply marvel at it and enjoy it. Soak in the entertainment factor of it all. Yeah, this screwball decision is probably going to be a foul ball, a groundout, a fly out, or a bloop single. We get it.

So what?

It’s the 92nd pick in the draft and nobody in the entire class has the skillset of Jalen Milroe.

I don’t know if he’ll be a great pick, a terrible pick, or something in between. I know that regardless of the outcome, I have no idea what Kubiak has planned next. And I kind of love that.