The Pittsburgh Steelers appear to be taking a long look at Alabama quarterback prospect Jalen Milroe.
According to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero late last night on March 18, “former Alabama QB Jalen Milroe had dinner tonight in Tuscaloosa with Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, GM Omar Khan and QBs coach Tom Arth ahead of his pro day, per source.”
Pelissero also reminded that “Pittsburgh, which continues to explore all options at the QB position, owns the No. 21 pick in April’s draft.”
“I just thought it was a great opportunity to build with the Steelers,” Milroe voiced, regarding the dinner. “I remember watching the AFC North and the battles that they have growing up. So now, to have the opportunity to be around Coach Tomlin, I don’t take it lightly at all.”
Concluding confidently: “If the opportunity presents itself for me to be his quarterback, I’ll take full advantage of it.”
Jalen Milroe Increases Draft Stock at Pro Day With Steelers & Entire NFL Watching
Milroe definitely gave his draft stock a bump on March 19, and it wasn’t just the fact that he looked “ABSOLUTELY JAHCKEDDDD” — to quote the Pat McAfee Show.
“Checked in with 4 teams at Alabama’s Pro Day, and three had QB Jalen Milroe at [a] 4.45 [second 40-yard dash and] another had him at 4.44,” Sports Illustrated insider Albert Breer reported live from Alabama. “That’s still really, REALLY good for a 216-pound QB, if not quite what’s floating around. It came on his second run (I got 4.48 and 4.51 for times on the first run).”
For reference, Lamar Jackson ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash and other mobile quarterbacks — with a more similar build as Milroe — like Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen ran a 4.59 and a 4.75, respectively.
Want one more NFL comparison when it comes to Milroe’s speed? If the 4.44 reading Breer mentioned was accurate, the incoming rookie beat recent Steelers quarterback Justin Fields’ 4.45 by a tenth of a second.
More important than his speed and frame might be Milroe’s ability as a passer, however. This is the big question mark when it comes to the Alabama signal-caller and from what The Athletic’s Jeff Howe reported, Milroe did well on Wednesday.
“Jalen Milroe just wrapped up his throwing session at Alabama’s pro day,” Howe relayed on X. “He completed 45 of 52 passes. I discarded one that hit the netting on the roof (53 throws overall). There was also a drop. These were one-man routes without any defenders on the field.”
Steelers HC Mike Tomlin Dropped Major Jalen Milroe Hint After the 2024 Season Ended
Tomlin has hinted that Milroe would be an option since the end of the season, for those who were listening closely.
“Lamar [Jackson] wasn’t taken at the top of the draft, [Jalen] Hurts wasn’t taken in the first round. So, I don’t know that I necessarily agree with the question,” Tomlin told a reporter during his end of year press conference — when asked about the Steelers needing to potentially have a season where they “take a step back” in order to find an elite QB in the draft.
And whether that was done purposefully or subconsciously, there’s only one QB in this draft class that truly compares to both Jackson and Hurts physically. That’s Milroe.
Of course, that’s not to say Milroe will turn out to be as good an NFL player as those two superstars. There have been plenty of physically dominant quarterbacks that fail at the pro level — just look at Anthony Richardson’s struggles with the Indianapolis Colts as a recent example.
Even so, it’s pretty clear that the Steelers are at least intrigued by the idea of drafting Milroe in 2025.
