Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe is the ultimate eye of the beholder type of prospect entering the 2025 NFL Draft.

His highs can be exhilarating while his lows can be gut-wrenching. Milroe’s 71 total touchdowns since 2023 (39 passing, 32 rushing) are the most in the SEC as are his 23 turnovers. Zeroing in just on 2024, his 36 total touchdowns (20 rushing, 16 passing) were the 11th most in the nation, and the most in the SEC, while his 15 turnovers were tied for the fourth most in the nation and led the SEC.

Milroe is the best rushing quarterback that’s come through the draft cycle in years with top-tier speed and agility, so whenever he is involved in a zone read, he can truly freeze a defense. The arm strength is also a plus, but Milroe doesn’t have the ideal touch or accuracy on his throws on a consistent enough basis to warrant him being a first-round selection. He can also look to force throws deep downfield to the point where the big-play hunting becomes detrimental to his team’s chances at victory. 

However, if an NFL team has the patience to let Milroe simmer on the sidelines for a season, there’s enough tools present to where he could be a whole lot of fun at the next level with more refinement. Here are the best team fits for the likely second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

There’s no doubt the Pittsburgh Steelers will pursue a veteran quarterback in some capacity with head coach Mike Tomlin under fire for another playoff letdown and both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields set to hit free agency in March. 

Whether it’s Aaron Rodgers, bringing back Wilson or bringing back Fields, they’ll have a bridge QB. That could make the Steelers a decent place for Milroe to begin his NFL maturation, especially working with an offensive coordinator like Arthur Smith who loves the ground game. 

The New Orleans Saints are locked into Derek Carr entering his age-34 season. However, he doesn’t have any guaranteed money remaining in the final season of his four-year, $150 million contract in 2026. That could allow New Orleans to save $32.8 million in cap space by releasing him after the 2025 season. Carr and the Saints are together for better or worse in 2025, but they could clear the way for Milroe in 2026 with Carr’s cap hit set to balloon to $61.5 million. 

New Orleans has a decent trio of playmakers Milroe could line up with in 2022 first-round pick receiver Chris Olave, speed demon Rashid Shaheed and five-time Pro Bowl running back Alvin Kamara. New head coach Kellen Moore helped develop Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott into a three-time Pro Bowler, and he just coordinated the Super Bowl LIX champion Philadelphia Eagles offense that led to running back Saquon Barkley rushing for over 2,000 yards and winning NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors. The Saints could make some sense for Milroe. 

Sure, the New York Jets choked a lot with an NFL-high six defeats with a fourth-quarter lead in 2024, but there are pieces Milroe could grow alongside after developing behind a vet in Year 1. The Jets’ young core includes wide receiver Garrett Wilson, running back Breece Hall and guard Alijah Vera-Tucker. The defensive core — corner Sauce Gardner, defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and edge rusher Will McDonald IV — is also capable of pushing the Jets to being one of the NFL’s better units on that side of the ball. After sitting in 2025, Milroe and New York could be ready to soar in 2026. 

Geno Smith would be a perfect quarterback for Milroe to learn from at the start of his NFL career. Smith is fresh off the best year of his career with bests in completion percentage (70.4%), passing yards (4,320) and wins (10). Seattle’s offensive line needs fixing after allowing the third-most quarterback pressure rate (39.4%) in the entire league in 2024, which shows how truly impressive Smith’s production was. Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba tied the Seahawks’ single-season receptions record of 100 (also Tyler Lockett in 2020), and wide receiver DK Metcalf is one of six players ever with at least 900 yards receiving in each of his first six seasons along with Terry McLaurin, Mike Evans, A.J. Green, Randy Moss and Jerry Rice.

Milroe learning behind Smith for a year — he’ll be a free agent in 2026 — in the Shanahan offense under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, with Seattle improving their offensive line before turning things over to the Crimson Tide quarterback, could line up well.

The Miami Dolphins have some great offensive pieces in former All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill, former first-round receiver Jaylen Waddle and running back De’Von Achane. 

However, they could use some more durability and big plays from the quarterback position. Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had the shortest average throw distance in the entire NFL, 5.7 yards downfield, this past season. That could be chalked up to fighting through the third diagnosed concussion of his NFL career in 2024, and as a result his 10 completions of 20 or more air yards were tied for 31st in the league after tossing an NFL-most 60 across the 2022 and 2023 seasons. 

Milroe could marinate under coach Mike McDaniel’s tutelage from the sidelines in 2025, and then perhaps he could get his shot at being the Dolphins starting quarterback in 2026 or 2027. Tagovailoa doesn’t have any guaranteed money on his contract in the final three seasons of his deal from 2026-2028. That allows for Miami to have major cap savings in 2026 ($31.2 million), 2027 ($36.6 million) or 2028 ($57.4 million) should the Dolphins release him prior to the pact’s expiration. Milroe playing with all that speed around him, while possessing high-end athleticism himself, could lead to more South Florida fireworks in a year or two.