With Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III finishing up his final collegiate season in Knoxville, there’s going to be a lot of talk about what sort of NFL Draft prospect he is heading into the 2024 NFL Draft.
Much has been said of Milton’s big arm – which NFL scouts will certainly love – but there will also be plenty of conversations around the backward step that Tennessee’s offense took this year and the shaky play that Milton had at times throughout the season.
According to one AFC scout via ESPN, some in the NFL are still waiting to see if everything can “click” for Milton on a more consistent basis.
The scout’s impression of Milton was published in Jordan Reid’s NFL Draft QB Hot Board article for ESPN on Friday morning. Reid goes through the Top 12 quarterbacks in the NFL Draft class with Milton landing right outside of the Top 10.
Reid has Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III as the No. 11 quarterback in the NFL Draft class. Reid also has Milton as a “Late Day 3/UDFA” projection.
The good and the bad of Milton’s draft profile are split up into two parts.
“After starting his career at Michigan in 2018, Milton transferred to Tennessee in 2021,” Reid wrote about what to like from Milton’s game. “His arm talent stands out right away — he has the arm strength to throw the football through a brick wall. But while Milton attempted maybe too many fastballs in the past, I saw improved patience and better decision-making in the underneath areas this season.”
There are also concerns, though.
“While Milton’s physical traits are apparent, he still struggles with deep accuracy,” Reid wrote. “He completed 28.6% of his passes of 20-plus air yards (103rd in the FBS). Touch on vertical throws remains a concern despite the arm strength. He has to learn to layer the ball to his desired spots.”
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The anonymous AFC scout added that Milton will “wow you up close with his size and arm, but we’re still waiting on all of it to click with him, and it just hasn’t happened consistently enough yet.”
Milton, sandwiched in between Notre Dame’s Sam Hartman at No. 10 and Western Kentucky’s Austin Reed at No. 12, comes in as the third highest-ranked quarterback prospect from the SEC behind LSU’s Jayden Daniels at No. 3 and South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler at No. 7.
Milton ended the year with the 7th most passing yards in the Southeastern Conference with 2,813 yards on 229-of-354 passing with 20 passing touchdowns, seven rushing touchdowns, and five interceptions.
Joe Milton has not yet announced his decision on whether he will play in the Citrus Bowl or not on New Year’s Day. Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more on the build to the NFL Draft and the lead-in to the Citrus Bowl on January 1.
Check out Jordan Reid’s full list here.
One Response
No amount of size or arm strength can make up for IQ. That is what Milton is lacking. His inability to read offenses , or extend drives in critical moments makes him a bad prospect. I wouldn’t want to draft him if I were the Carolina Panthers and had no other option