Jalen Milroe ready for long night in green room at NFL Draft

Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe is generally propped up as QB4 in the 2025 NFL Draft. We know Cam Ward is the No. 1 pick. Both Shedeur Sanders and Jaxson Dart appear, on the surface, to be first-round talents. Milroe is slated more often in the second round.

That makes his presence in the NFL Draft green room on Thursday night a bit awkward. The NFL doesn't run its draft all at once like other leagues; the second round isn't until Friday night, which means Milroe could, quite literally, be the last man standing (or sitting) on Thursday evening.

While there's always room for surprises on draft night — and few positions inspire surprises more than quarterback — this is a weak QB class by all accounts. Milroe was undeniably productive at Alabama, but he was far from flawless. He awed and irritated Crimson Tide fans in equal measure. There's a ton of upside, but Milroe's floor may very well be the lowest among his peers.

To his credit, Milroe doesn't seem all that worried about where he goes or when he goes. At least, not publicly. The Alabama star has made peace with the uncertainty of his draft stock.

Jalen Milroe is okay with being the last man in the NFL Draft green room if it happens that way

"My biggest thing is, it’s not about being drafted in the first round,” Milroe told SiriusXM NFL Radio. “It’s about hearing my name called. That’s my biggest thing that I’m looking forward to, is to hear my name called and know where home’s gonna be at initially. And, also, it’s a dream come true to be a part of the draft. If I go first round or second round, I’ll still be able to experience walking the stage and being here. This is a dream come true."

These are wise words from a future locker room leader. Milroe's play style can be erratic, but he's a level-headed dude with a long history of performing under pressure at a marquee program. It stands to reason that he has the composure and perspective necessary to ingratiate himself to teammates and win over coaches. Comments like these will only boost his reputation.

That said, Milroe probably will have to wait for the second round, judging from Cody Williams' FanSided mock draft. The Alabama signal-caller figures to appeal to all the usual suspects — New York, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Minnesota, et al — but he just does not offer the stable floor teams are looking for in first round quarterback investments.

Milroe threw for 2,844 yards and 16 touchdowns last season, but he also forked over 11 interceptions. He added 726 yards and an additional 20 touchdowns as a runner, though. Many of those scores came around the goal line, Jalen Hurts-style, so it's a mildly inflated number. But, Milroe is a tier-one athlete who could emerge as one of the most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks in the NFL if his throwing accuracy and processing speed improve.