The New York Jets have made it official: they are parting ways with Aaron Rodgers and turning their attention to free agency or the 2025 NFL Draft.
The surprise is that the Jets may not go after either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders but may have their eyes on one particular quarterback in the draft.
The New York Jets May Be in Line To Take Jalen Milroe
Alabama QB Jalen Milroe may have entered the picture as a possible replacement for Aaron Rodgers.
Although Milroe wasn’t very impressive during the Senior Bowl, many NFL scouts still like the Bama quarterback. Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport suggested that the Jets should go after a lower-ranked prospect like Milroe.
“The best course of action for the Jets is a two-pronged approach: a veteran who can play in 2025 and a rookie who can take the reins in 2026,” Davenport wrote.
Davenport said the Jets could land Milroe in the late first round or somewhere in the second round. Bleacher Report NFL Draft analyst Dame Parson said he thinks that Milroe may be the second coming of Jalen Hurts, who also played at Alabama.
“Shades of Jalen Hurts with a jet pack and stronger arm,” Parson said of Milroe.
“Milroe’s outstanding blend of elite speed/athleticism, physically dense build, and a live arm fits the trend of today’s quarterback archetypes. As he has shown this season, there are encouraging flashes of development as a pocket passer. If this continues, NFL decision-makers will be more than intrigued about placing him in their offense and building around his skillset.”
Parson added “Milroe projects as a quarterback prospect that should sit instead of being a Day 1 starter in the NFL. His passing skill set still needs to be improved before anyone can be comfortable with him being viewed as the future of a franchise.”
The knock on Hurts coming out of college was that he wasn’t a very accurate passer, but he improved his passing skills at Oklahoma under Lincoln Riley and finished second in the Heisman his only year there.
Milroe has the same issue. Although he has a beautiful deep ball, his issues seem to be with his ability to read defenses well, which can lead to turnovers and sacks. The question is, are the Jets willing to work with him to improve his skill set?
Milroe is a project that may be worth it because of his long ball and athleticism, making him attractive to any team, including the Jets.
Davenport agrees. “If Milroe shows off his wheels and athleticism in pre-draft workouts, his draft stock could shoot up well into Round 1.”
Milroe’s PFSN Scouting Report
Milroe’s profile is not one that will win everyone over. He had his ups and downs at Alabama, and while he may have benefitted most from returning for another year, he’s entering the 2025 NFL Draft as part of a relatively weak QB class. Jacob Infante wrote about Milroe’s draft projection and summary, saying, “From a purely physical perspective, Milroe might be the most talented quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“Blessed with a cannon of an arm, a muscular build, and tremendous athleticism, Milroe is the perfect proverbial ball of clay. He has all the prerequisites to be a coach’s dream with how impressive his physical tools are. The flashes are there with him on tape, and when he gets the right amount of touch and timing behind his passes, he can make some seriously big plays.
READ MORE: Jalen Milroe NFL Draft Hub — Scouting Report, Player Profile, Projection, and More
“There’s a lot of work that needs to be done with Milroe, though. Expectations were high for him heading into the 2024 season, and he did not progress from the previous season as well as many had hoped. He’s raw as a processor and generally pretty inaccurate, which comes down to spotty mechanics. His decision-making in the pocket will need to improve if he is to reach his full potential, and his ball security stands out as a legitimate concern as well.
“Milroe ultimately has a first-round skill set with fifth-round tape. His value likely comes somewhere in the middle, where a team could use a Day 2 selection on him. This would bet on his tremendous ceiling without investing anything that would expect him to start right away. The boom-or-bust factor with Milroe is real, but NFL teams will always take a shot on a player with his type of raw talent.”