Getty Alabama QB Jalen Milroe.
The Las Vegas Raiders have been closely evaluating quarterbacks for the last two years but haven’t been able to land a top one in the draft. Considering Gardner Minshew clearly isn’t a long-term option, the team is certainly keeping an eye on the top prospects this year.
Georgia’s Carson Beck was widely considered the top quarterback prospect heading into the college football season but he may have just been leapfrogged by a quarterback who just beat him. Alabama upset Georgia on Saturday and a big reason for that was the play of quarterback Jalen Milroe.
He wasn’t considered a first-round prospect heading into the year but now Ian Valentino of The 33rd Team is projecting the Raiders to take him with the No. 7 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“A more traditional pocket-passing option like Carson Beck or Garrett Nussmeier would be worthy of this pick, but the situation the Las Vegas Raiders are in will require a big swing,” Valentino wrote in a September 25 mock draft.
“Being set to face Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert for the next decade means they need a fellow alien at quarterback to win. Jalen Milroe has that potential, possessing elite rushing and deep passing abilities.”
Milroe has led the Crimson Tide to a 4-0 record while throwing 10 touchdowns to one interception. He also already has eight rushing touchdowns on the season. If he keeps playing like this, he may not even make it to the No. 7 pick.
Jalen Milroe Could Be Risky in the 1st-Round
Milroe looked excellent against Georgia, which is one of the top teams in the NCAA. However, taking him in the top 10 may be a huge stretch. Pro Football Network’s Ian Cummings sees him as a Day 3 pick.
“Milroe grades out as a fringe top-100 prospect in the class, with current early Day 3 viability,” Cummings wrote in a September 28 column. “Seeing out the 2024 campaign with DeBoer — who helped catalyze Michael Penix Jr.’s development — Milroe could undergo the necessary development to become an early-round pick.
“Milroe has all of the raw talent to be a future NFL starter. He’s a superlative athlete and competitor with blistering speed, explosiveness, and agility. He also has an extremely strong arm with good angle freedom and elasticity.”
There is a position that is more valuable than quarterback. That often leads teams to draft them earlier than they should be. Milroe appears to be in the second tier of quarterback prospects so he could be the most realistic option for the Raiders if they don’t end with a top-five pick.
Raiders Need a QB Who Can Run
The Raiders haven’t had a quarterback who can run with the ball in a long time. The NFL has started to favor more athletic quarterbacks but Las Vegas has been falling behind. Minshew has just 18 rushing yards in four games this season, which isn’t good considering how poor the offensive line has been playing.
Milroe will be one of the best running quarterbacks in the 2025 class. In the last two seasons, he’s had 804 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns combined. He’s going to need some work as a passer but his rushing ability would make him a dynamic player for the Raiders to build the offense around.
