Should Jalen Milroe have stayed at Alabama? Senior Bowl and NFL Draft comps paint a picture

NFL scouts continue to pick apart this year's quarterback class as the pre-draft process rolls along. The debate over which signal-caller should be drafted where isn't limited to the battle between Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders. It also extends to the next tier of prospects which includes former Alabama standout Jalen Milroe.

He entered the college season with a real chance to be the first quarterback off the board in this year's class. His inconsistent play for the Crimson Tide dropped his stock to the point where most scouts and pundits were labeling him as a Day 2 or Day 3 selection heading into the Senior Bowl.

Milroe and his representatives hoped they could rehabilitate his value in front of all the pro scouts watching his every move during the prominent showcase. Unfortunately, his performance during the Senior Bowl activities only raised more questions about his ability to transition to the pro level.

Getting compared to Malik Willis is not a death knell for Milroe's pro prospects but it's hardly a ringing endorsement. Willis came into the league with high expectations and fell flat on his face with the team that drafted him. He's only recently reestablished himself as a potential viable starter after being traded from the Titans to the Packers.

NFL teams looking to spend premium draft picks on quarterbacks aren't inclined to give them multiple years on the bench to learn behind starters. That's the negative aspect of being compared to Willis that Milroe has to fight moving forward.

Jalen Milroe scouting report

Milroe's physical tools are easy to spot on his college tape. He's got above average arm talent that allows him to make every throw in the playbook. Opponents are also forced to keep a spy on him in the box if they don't want to be terrorized by his exceptional speed.

Those skills allowed him to make a solid amount of big plays for the Crimson Tide. It's easy to get excited about his upside at the pro level. The problem with Milroe as a prospect is that his high ceiling doesn't make up for his low floor as a potential NFL quarterback.

Milroe's mechanics inside the pocket are messy to say the least. He sprays the ball around on short and intermediate throws at an unacceptable level. Pro coaching staffs will need to really improve Milroe's footwork if they want him to become a quality starter.

His mental processing will also need work if he's going to make NFL throws on time. He waited too long for his receivers to get open before releasing the ball in college. If he waits that long next season he's going to be picked off by quality defensive backs.

So where should Jalen Milroe be drafted?

The simple truth is that quarterbacks fly up the draft board the closer it gets to the draft. That means Milroe is likely to get "overdrafted" based on his grade as a prospect. That is the nature of the most important position in modern football.

Even so, teams should not entertain the idea of using a first-rounder on a player with this many flaws. He does not deserve to be in the same class as Ward or Sanders. There is, however, a credible argument for Milroe being the third quarterback taken based on his high ceiling.

That likely positions Milroe's draft floor to reside towards the bottom half of Round 2. Any team who makes that sort of investment in him will need to be patient to get a quality return. He won't be ready to play as a rookie and should not be rushed into action. There is still a chance he could blossom into a high-quality starter if he lands with the right franchise.