Jalen Milroe has to wait at least one more day to find out where he will play in the NFL.
Milroe was left waiting in the green room Thursday in Green Bay after the first round of the NFL Draft. He was one of three Alabama players who accepted invitations to attend the draft in person alongside Tyler Booker and Jihaad Campbell; the Cowboys selected Booker 12th overall, and the Philadelphia Eagles selected Campbell 31st overall. But Milroe did not hear his name called.
Only two quarterbacks went in the first round. The Tennessee Titans drafted Cam Ward with the first overall pick, then the New York Giants selected Jaxson Dart with the 25th overall pick.
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders also was not selected in the first round, but he did not attend the draft in Green Bay. Sanders was considered another first-round possibility.
Mock drafts prior to Thursday sent Milroe to a variety of spots across rounds. Some outlets viewed him as a first-round pick. Others didn’t have him selected until the third round.
Milroe seems primed to be a second-day pick, so either in the second round or the third round. Which teams could be primed to select him? Here are a few candidates.
Pittsburgh Steelers
As of now, Pittsburgh doesn’t have a second-round selection. So that could get in the way of Milroe becoming a Steeler.
But Pittsburgh has plenty of uncertainty at the quarterback spot. Mason Rudolph is on the roster right now, but there’s not much past that. Aaron Rodgers could still join, but that’s not certain and he would be nothing more than a stop-gap starter anyway at 41.
The Steelers dined with Milroe, among other players, before his pro day in Tuscaloosa.
“Now I have the opportunity to be around Coach Tomlin, I don’t take it lightly at all,” Milroe said in March. “If the opportunity presents itself for me to be his quarterback, I’ll take full advantage of it.”
Cleveland Browns
The Browns have Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett but could use a young quarterback with starter potential to develop. There’s also an obvious connection here: Browns offensive coordinator Tommy Rees ran the Alabama offense in 2023, what was Milroe’s best season. Alabama went to the Rose Bowl that year and won the SEC. The Browns own the first pick in the second round at No. 33. After a trade with Jacksonville in the first round, Cleveland also possesses the fourth pick in the second round at 36.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints were a popular pick for a quarterback at No. 9, specifically Sanders. But New Orleans picked a blocker in the first round instead. Could the Saints still target a passer?
Derek Carr is dealing with a shoulder injury that lacks certainty. The Saints also have Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener (a former Kalen DeBoer quarterback at Fresno State) as well as Ben DiNucci, but none of those will necessarily be long-term starters. Perhaps New Orleans wants to add a rookie quarterback to develop to the mix.
Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for Follow him on X and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.
