There’s always that one player in every draft class who feels like a gamble at the poker table—you’re either walking away with the jackpot or watching your chips disappear into the void. This year, that wild card might just be Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe.
And yet, some believe there’s one team perfectly built to handle the risk and potentially reap the reward: the New York Giants.
A Perfect Fit… or a Total Whiff?
If you’re looking for a quarterback with raw tools and the kind of athleticism that makes defenders whiff like they’re trying to tackle smoke, Milroe is your guy. He’s one of the most electric runners the college game has seen under center, with speed and strength that make him look more like a hybrid between Lamar Jackson and a freight train.
But with all that talent comes serious risk. His short and intermediate accuracy remains inconsistent, and his processing under pressure still needs a lot of fine-tuning. Essentially, drafting Milroe would be like throwing a dart at a board blindfolded—he might be a bull’s-eye, or he might not even hit the wall.
Still, the upside is there.
In 2024, Milroe threw for 2,834 yards with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He added 879 yards and 20 rushing touchdowns on the ground. He completed 63.3% of his passes, but that number doesn’t tell the full story. He’s still raw as a pocket passer, and his development curve may take a few years.
But the Giants might just be the perfect place for that.
Why the Giants Make Sense
The Giants already signed veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston to short-term deals, giving them flexibility and time. They don’t need to throw a rookie into the fire immediately. That gives someone like Milroe the breathing room to develop behind the scenes, learning from experienced players while working with a creative offensive mind in head coach Brian Daboll.
Daboll has experience maximizing mobile quarterbacks, and pairing that experience with Milroe’s athleticism could be a match worth investing in. New York also has pieces like Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, and Jalin Hyatt—young receivers with speed who could complement Milroe’s playmaking if everything clicks down the line.
At the very least, Milroe could offer a unique spark in a change-of-pace role early on while developing the rest of his game.
“If I could hand pick one team for Jalen Milroe, it would be the New York Giants. … This would be the perfect place for both the player and the organization,” Dan Orlovsky of ESPN said.
The Giants have options with the third overall pick, but in the second round or even the third, Milroe is an intriguing name to keep in the mix. He’s a developmental lottery ticket—but one with rare athletic upside that doesn’t come around often.
