The 2024 NFL Draft process is well underway and one big event on the calendar is now behind us. The Senior Bowl wrapped up Saturday in Mobile, Alabama, as teams spend most of the week interviewing and observing draft prospects during the All-Star Game.Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton took part in the festivities and got a chance to work in a more traditional offense in front of NFL evaluators. The 6-5, 230-pound pitcher has all the physical attributes you could want, but accuracy and decision-making have been Milton’s knocks for a few years now.Unfortunately,
during Saturday’s game, both issues came up again. On the day, Milton threw two interceptions and threw two clearly inaccurate passes.Tennessee QB Joe Milton III completed 9 of 13 passes but struggled mightily. He made a sack deep in his own zone on his first snap, failed an open check pass and threw an interception in the end zone, one of his two picks on the day. The second was a clear shot just after he played the best part of his game. (NFL.com).Of course, the game isn’t everything during Senior Bowl week. Practices,
exercises and interviews are much more important in this process. There’s no doubt that Milton showed off his arm strength this week, and I’m still interested to see if any NFL team thinks he can fix the accuracy issues. The raw physical tool is interesting, but then again, he had five years in college to improve the rest. It just didn’t happen.Where will Milton’s NFL draft stock end up? Third day at best – very possibly undrafted. According to ESPN, Milton’s draft range is fifth among undrafted picks, and scouts rightly question his accuracy and touch.
“He makes all the throws at the same rate and some easy plays get away from him,” said one AFC South scout who saw Milton play several times in Tennessee. (ESPN)Evaluators polled said Milton’s physicality and arm strength would be enough for the team to select him on Day 3. Milton completed 64.7% of his passes last season with 20 touchdowns and five picks. (ESPN)The last comment sums up how I feel about Milton. A quarterback coach or offensive coordinator will find themselves drooling over Milton’s physical tools and hitting the boards for him on day three. We’ve seen world-class arms touted before, so it’s not too far-fetched to believe that Milton could go off the board as early as the fifth round.Like Hendon Hooker last year, one thing working against Milton is his age. Joe turns 24 in March, making his inclusion in the project that much more difficult.Next up for Milton is the NFL Combine, which is scheduled to begin on February 26th..
Leave a Reply