What does Jalen Milroe want to show to teams at the 2025 NFL combine ? The former Alabama football quarterback feels he's ready for the next step.
"I love football," Milroe told reporters Friday. "I love everything about it. I know where I'm at today, I'm going to be even better at this time next year. Everything I try and do is for the betterment of the team and not be one-dimensional at all when it comes to physical attributes on the football field. There's a lot of things I can improve on, but there's a lot of things that I can say I can definitely do.
"What I saw in the SEC has catapulted me to being ready to play in the NFL."
Here's a look at how Milroe performed at the 2025 NFL combine.
As the throws got deeper, Milroe looked more and more comfortable, hitting receivers in stride and with room to run.
Per Pro Football Focus, Milroe completed 22 of 56 passes of 20 yards or more for 10 touchdowns and three interceptions in 2024. He had a 93.1 passing grade compared to a 60.3 passing grade on short 0-to-9-yard passes.
As Milroe threw, members of the NFL Network combine team addressed who the Alabama quarterback was as a traditional passer.
"He's a lot more comfortable when he can just drive it," NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah said. "I don't know that the layered throws... are still a work in progress with Milroe. But when he's comfortable, he can just pick a site and throw with velocity... he's a lot more comfortable there."
Kurt Warner, a Hall of Fame quarterback, added Milroe needs to get more comfortable with anticipatory throws and letting wide receivers do the work instead of using his pass velocity to hit receivers in stride.
Jeremiah said that whichever NFL team gets Milroe is getting an "elite, elite runner," one whose speed rivals or exceeds former Florida and current Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson .
After overthrowing the first receiver, Milroe nailed two 25-yard sideline throws where the receivers both toe-tapped for completions. He returned for another rep and overthrew another receiver.
On the semi routes toward the sideline, Milroe overthrew a few of his receivers on short posts and semi routes, causing incompletions or forcing awkward catches and overcorrections for the receiver.
"Every opportunity he gets to throw the football, whether it's here, Pro Day, private workouts, he has a chance to help himself," NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said of Milroe. "He's got a hose though. It's just a matter of directing it and being a little more precise with the footwork, which is going to help with your accuracy."
Mlroe connected with three receivers on three slant routes to start his NFL combine throwing sessions. One was slightly ahead of the receiver.
Milroe is a unique player at the NFL combine.
Milroe is one of three quarterbacks at the combine to have remained at one school throughout his collegiate career. Missouri quarterback Brady Cook and Memphis quarterback Seth Henigan were the only others that remained at their respective schools.
Milroe will not run the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. He alluded to the decision to reporters earlier in the week, saying he was planning on "throwing" when asked about the 40 and throwing session Saturday.
Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough is the only quarterback running the 40 Saturday in the second group.
Milroe will work out with the second group of quarterbacks at the NFL combine. The Alabama signal caller will work out with quarterbacks including Syracuse QB Kyle McCord and Louisville QB Tyler Shough.
Here's how Milroe measured at at the 2025 NFL combine
Height:6 feet, 1 7/8 inches
Weight:217 pounds
Hand:9 3/8 inches
Arm:30 5/8 inches
Most NFL mock drafts do not have Milroe as a first-round pick.
ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr . has former Alabama guard Tyler Booker (No. 18 Seattle Seahawks ) and former Crimson Tide linebacker Jihaad Campbell (No. 19 Tampa Bay Buccaneers ) in his latest mock draft, but no Milroe.
An NFL.com three-round NFL mock draft had Milroe as a second round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 52 overall. He would be the fifth quarterback selected behind Miami's Cam Ward , Colorado 's Shedeur Sanders , Ole Miss ' Jaxson Dart and Texas ' Quinn Ewers .
Pro Football Network has Milroe at No. 94 overall to the Cleveland Browns .
Milroe struggled at the 2025 Senior Bowl in Mobile , completing three of his five pass attempts for 18 yards with 11 rushing yards on three carries as a runner. He was sacked three times.
"I just try and trust in the process, buy into who I am as a person and keep building each and every day, because each and every day I have the opportunity to play the game of football, I'm going to try and appreciate it," Milroe told reporters in Mobile. "I'm going to keep trying to put my best foot forward."
In four years with the Crimson Tide , Milroe has the seventh-most passing yards (6,016) and the eighth-most passing touchdowns (45) in school history. With his 64.3% completion rate, Milroe is one of nine Alabama quarterbacks to finish his career with a completion percentage higher than 60%.
Milroe has more rushing touchdowns than any other Alabama quarterback, finishing his career with 33.
In 2024, Milroe's first with coach Kalen DeBoer , Milroe had 2,844 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He added 726 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Jalen Milroe NFL combine: How Alabama football QB performed
