Products You May Like
MOBILE, Ala. — By Thursday, Blaine Gautier had seen a shift.
The Senior Bowl’s American team quarterbacks coach watched Alabama prospect Jalen Milroe under center in team drills for the third day.
Gautier wondered how many onlookers viewed Milroe’s performance as dipping when his target depth declined.
Gautier thought differently about the player who’d kept his coach late after meetings the night before, eager to drill down even further on lengthy play-calls and new terminology.
Was the athleticism and arm talent required to check the ball down less eye-catching than Milroe’s deep ball? It was. But Milroe isn’t just trying to prove himself as a passer to NFL talent evaluators. He’s trying to prove he’s capable of all that comes with being an NFL quarterback.
“If you watch the film, you’ll see he took more checkdowns than he probably has throughout this whole week, but if it works, if it’s not there, check it down, get it to your back, let those guys work,” Gautier told Yahoo Sports after practice Thursday. “Early on, I think he was all about showing his arm off, getting the ball downfield, trying to press it downfield. [Now] it’s all about taking what they give you and don’t force it, man.
“Live for another down.”
But there’s nothing wrong with throwing deep if it’s wide open.
At the collegiate level, Milroe lived for four seasons at Alabama, including the final two as a starter. Milroe’s air success in 2023 exceeded his most recent campaign, his touchdown-to-interception ratio falling from 23-to-6 as a junior to 16-to-11 as a senior. On the ground, however, he powered for 726 yards and 20 touchdowns after taking just seven fewer carries a year prior for 531 and 12.
One high-ranking AFC executive told Yahoo Sports that Milroe showed impressive athleticism, believing the quarterback could develop further with the right coaching staff and support. An NFC personnel executive was hesitant to pan Milroe as athletic at the expense of his capacity as a passer, reflecting on similar labels put on Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and more.
Players can develop.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler projected Milroe as the 34th overall pick to the New York Giants in a recent mock draft.
More NFL coverage
Between now and the NFL Draft, Milroe will continue working on his footwork and progressions.
“Not being stuck on one route, not trying to hit the deep ball every time,” said Gautier, who’s also the assistant quarterbacks coach for the Arizona Cardinals and dual-threat QB Kyler Murray. “Try to show some more versatility there and show that he’s not just a runner. He’s a passer first, and then gets into run and can create afterwards.”
The 2024 No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels exceeded expectations as a passer in his rookie season with the Washington Commanders after evaluators wondered whether his passing game could pace his athletic scrambles and extensions.
Navigating the pocket will be important for Milroe, who’s been studying how NFL defenses will challenge him.
“I think one thing is recognition when it comes to who’s the dude on defense because the highest-paid guys on defense is normally the defensive end,” Milroe told Yahoo Sports. “You’re seeing the pocket in the seconds it takes for a quarterback to move the pocket and understand different disguises that may be presented. So No. 1 especially is who’s the dude on defense because every team has that dude.”
As he works to identify the “dudes” across the line of scrimmage at the Senior Bowl, Milroe worked to make rote his five-step drop and his seven-step drop, also increasing his comfort with naked bootlegs and wide-zone concepts. Gautier coached him through run-game footwork and keeping his eyes downfield in the passing game to cover more ground on first and second downs in hopes of embracing a favorable down-and-distance on third.
“That’s what the quarterback position is: It’s great when you’re not one-sided, when you can do different things,” Gautier said. “He’s a strong athlete and he is willing to work. That’s one of the biggest things I’ve learned about him.”