At least one unnamed NFL executive reportedly believes that the Pittsburgh Steelers could make Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe the 21st overall pick of the 2025 draft even if the club signs Aaron Rodgers before the night of April 24 rolls around.
During a recent appearance on “The Mina Kimes Show,” former quarterback and current football analyst Nate Tice of Yahoo Sports touched upon how Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith could develop Milroe.
“With Arthur Smith and, you have package plays, how they used Justin Fields last year, that’s another one that could be interesting,” Tice said about a possible Milroe-Pittsburgh marriage, as shared by Josh Carney of Steelers Depot. “…The tools are just insane. Like, [Milroe will] rocket a ball 60 yards and it’ll be flat-footed and it’s a flick of the wrist and you’re just like, how’d that ball come out so fast?”
When Russell Wilson was sidelined with a lingering calf injury through the opening six weeks of the 2024 season, Fields went 4-2 as Pittsburgh’s starter and completed 66.3% of his pass attempts for 1,106 yards with five touchdowns and one interception. He also rushed for 231 yards and five scores over those games. Head coach Mike Tomlin nevertheless turned to Wilson in Week 7, but it now appears Smith wasn’t in favor of that decision.
Meanwhile, multiple analysts and observers feel that Milroe is a “super inconsistent” passer who probably needs to spend time learning about life in the NFL as an unused backup for a starter such as Rodgers. Tice thinks that Pittsburgh viewing Milroe as a project could ultimately benefit the organization beyond 2025.
“That doesn’t seem physically possible to just go like this and the ball just flies out of a guy’s hand,” Tice added about Milroe’s talent. “…The gifts with him are pretty, pretty gifty. They’re pretty high-end gifts.”
The Steelers may have Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart ranked ahead of Milroe on their draft board, but some think Dart could be a top-10 pick. In the event that Dart is off the board and the Steelers already have a Week 1 starter on the roster in Rodgers, they may feel that taking Milroe at No. 21 is the right move for their long-term future.
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