In the 2024 NFL season, quarterbacks Justin Fields and Russell Wilson split time under center. The former led the Steelers to a 4-2 record, and the latter went 6-5.
While each finished the campaign with a winning record, it seems likely that one of the two will walk in free agency. One analyst predicts the Steelers will look for a replacement in the 2025 NFL Draft and potentially land a franchise quarterback in Jalen Milroe.
Pittsburgh Steelers Projected To Pick Jalen Milroe in 2025 NFL Draft
While Wilson and Fields showed moments of brilliance in 2024, the result wasn’t good enough. The Steelers collapsed down the stretch, finishing with a PFSN Offensive+ rating of 67.5 (D+) as their search for a true franchise quarterback continued.
That’s why PFSN’s latest seven-round mock draft by Ben Rolfe predicts the Steelers will pick Milroe at No. 52 on Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft. While Rolfe acknowledges that waiting to land a quarterback on Day 2 can be risky, he believes the free agency shakeup will come to the Steelers’ rescue.
“Sitting in the middle of the second round might prove to be the perfect spot for the Steelers to get Jalen Milroe. Chances are they may decide to trade up just because sitting and waiting for a quarterback to fall to you on Day 2 will feel like a risky proposition, but free agency will shape that narrative to some extent.
“Milroe is the most athletic quarterback in the group and has an incredible cannon for an arm. Accuracy and decision-making are the knocks on him, especially on passes in those short to intermediate areas. However, that is an easier trait to coach up than athleticism and arm strength. Milroe uncorking bombs to George Pickens is a tantalizing thought with this selection.”
Milroe took over as Alabama’s starting quarterback in 2023. He won the quarterback battle against Tyler Buchner and Ty Simpson, and while Buchner started the Crimson Tide’s early season matchup against USF, Milroe started every other game he played for the remainder of the year.
Jalen Milroe’s projected 40-yard dash based on our tracking data: 4.37-4.39pic.twitter.com/pzb9B5uixp
— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) February 19, 2025
He finished the season with 2,834 passing yards, throwing 23 touchdowns to six interceptions with a 65.8% completion percentage. He also demonstrated his value in the ground game, rushing for 531 yards and 12 touchdowns on 161 attempts.
Alabama finished the year 11-2 and won the SEC in 2023, making the College Football Playoff but losing to eventual champion Michigan Wolverines in the Rose Bowl semifinal.
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Though he was eligible for the 2024 NFL Draft as a redshirt sophomore, Milroe decided to return to Alabama for another year. Nick Saban was no longer the head coach, but Kalen DeBoer’s reworked offense made sure to account for Milroe’s skill set. He threw for 2,844 passing yards with 16 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and a 64.3% completion percentage.
While his passing production dipped slightly, he was more productive as a runner, tallying 726 rushing yards on 168 carries with a total of 20 rushing touchdowns that placed second among all FBS quarterbacks. The Crimson Tide finished the year 9-4 and missed the postseason in the first year of the expanded 12-team playoff.
NOT ONE, NOT TWO, NOT THREE BUT FOUR RUSHING TDS FOR JALEN MILROE 😱
ABSOLUTELY TERRORIZING THE LSU DEFENSE 😳 pic.twitter.com/XuXOsCkLLC
— ESPN (@espn) November 10, 2024
Milroe has all the prerequisites and physical tools that make up a coach’s dream signal-caller.
The flashes are there on tape, and if he gets the right amount of touch and timing behind his passes, he can make big plays for the Steelers in a few seasons.
Further, Wilson and Fields are both free agents, ranked 81st and 46th in PFSN’s Top 100 Free Agents, respectively. Even if the Steelers somehow want to re-sign both, drafting Milroe would still make sense, as he has the potential to become their quarterback of the future.