Jalen Milroe isn't the quarterback Browns fans want, but he's better than the alternative

Jalen Milroe is not for everyone, but he could be for someone. That someone may very well end up being the Cleveland Browns. Their general manager Andrew Berry raved about the former Alabama star's athleticism, citing "he may be the only quarterback who's faster than Lamar [Jackson]." Of course, throwing the football is the primary responsibility of a quarterback, but Milroe offers promise.

Entering the 2025 NFL Draft, Cleveland has the No. 2 overall pick. The Browns will seemingly have their choice between Colorado Buffaloes supposed two-way player Travis Hunter or Penn State Nittany Lions front-seven menace Abdul Carter. I would take Carter over Hunter, but I am okay with either selection. The point is it does not look like they are gong to take a quarterback No. 2 overall.

So if that ends up being the case, I would not rule out Cleveland trading back into the first round to take a flier on a guy like former Ole Miss star Jaxson Dart, former Colorado standout Shedeur Sanders if he falls, or even Milroe in what could be the reach of the draft. In the end, what does it matter? The Browns have no future at quarterback currently with Joe Flacco and Deshaun Watson.

To me, the potential upside of Milroe is worthy of a top-100 pick, but maybe not in the first round.

Keep in mind Lamar Jackson was the last pick of the first round by the Baltimore Ravens in 2018...

Juice might be worth squeeze for Cleveland Browns to draft Jalen Milroe

To be fair, comparing Milroe to Jackson is not fair to either party. They are great players in their own right. Unfortunately, Jackson is the greatest player in Louisville Cardinals history and well on his way to Canton enshrinement. Milroe was the last quarterback to play for Nick Saban at Alabama. I would argue that the better NFL prototype to compare him to is Kordell Stewart of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

No, I am not asking Milroe to run routes like Stewart briefly had to come out of Colorado. In between Terry Bradshaw and Ben Roethlisberger, there were a lot of Bubby Bristers in Pittsburgh, but Stewart certainly had his day in the sun. Milroe is the one top-five quarterback prospect in this draft I see having the most growth potential. The other four do not have as high to grow as I think Milroe could.

So what does this mean for the Browns? I think they owe it to themselves to take one of these five quarterback prospects of note. Former Miami star Cam Ward will already be off the board before they are picking at No. 2, but Dart, Milroe, Sanders and even Quinn Ewers out of Texas could be had by the Browns at various points in this draft. Otherwise, it will be another offseason of waiting on Watson...

Milroe is not the best option for most teams, but he may be a prudent one for a team like the Browns.