The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a complicated relationship with Alabama QB Jalen Milroe, if you believe offseason reports. And for the record, you shouldn’t, but that doesn’t necessarily make them wrong. Early on, The Athletic reported that they are not interested in him, at least not until later in the draft. Now we’re seeing reports that he is the only quarterback realistically available they might draft in the first round.
What exactly happened? Is one report wildly wrong, if not both, or did the Steelers have a change of heart on MIlroe? The former report came much earlier in the offseason, so it’s possible they re-evaluated and changed their conclusions. That would be especially likely if it’s Mike Tomlin driving the favor, as he would only be more active in the scouting process later on.
Still, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette just doesn’t see the Milroe to the Steelers happening. And that’s partially because they don’t have a second-round pick.
“I don’t think they would go for Milroe in the first round”, he said of the Steelers on the North Shore Drive podcast. “I don’t care how much they like him, that guy’s a project. He’s gonna take years—not one year—he’s gonna take years to develop. Yes, there’s freakish athletic ability. Yes, he’s got an arm. But there’s just a lot that has to be done there to turn him into an NFL quarterback.
“For the Steelers sitting there without a second-round pick, I have a hard time seeing that it would be Jalen Milroe. But, hey, as we sit here, they’ve got Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson on the roster and no one else, so I guess we shouldn’t shut the door on anything”.
Last season for the Crimson Tide, Milroe threw for 2,844 yards with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Those are not exactly elite numbers for a college quarterback and shouldn’t excite the Steelers. But he also rushed for 726 yards and 20 touchdowns, which makes your ears perk up ever so slightly. For comparison, Justin Fields didn’t even have 20 rushing touchdowns his entire college career. Nor did he have 500 rushing yards in any one season.
But would the Steelers really consider using their first-round pick on Jalen Milroe? At some point you have to be able to play quarterback, or you’re just drafting a running back.
The NFL has invited Milroe to attend the draft, fueling Steelers connections. The move obviously implies the league believes there’s a good chance someone drafts him in the first round, but if not, he figures likely to go in the second. And, again, the Steelers don’t have a second-round pick. So if they really want him, they will have to take him in the first, or trade back. Or trade up from the third round.
