As The NFL Draft Approaches, Jalen Milroe Is Clearly Betting On Himself

Do you honestly think Jalen Milroe would show up at the NFL Draft worried about the outside noise of him potentially having to sit in the green-room for a few hours on Thursday night? 

The decision has already been made that the former Alabama quarterback is headed to Green Bay this week, hoping to hear his name called in the first round. That would see him once again defy the projections that have been thrown his way. 

As you all know by now, staring adversity in the eye is not something that rattles Milroe. We've seen the talented quarterback go through that awkward moment during Nick Saban's final season at Alabama, where Jalen had to sit on the sidelines, watching his team struggle to beat South Florida in 2023. 

From that game on, it was Milroe's team, and while the outside noise in Tuscaloosa grew louder, the quarterback only got mentally stronger. It's hard to forget what he did against LSU in 2023, throwing for 219 yards, rushing for 155 yards with four touchdowns. Oh, and he was also 11-14 on third downs that night in Tuscaloosa. 

It's the same Milroe that led Alabama to the win over Georgia last season, as he played ‘catch’ with Ryan Williams to destroy the Bulldogs secondary. And while there were certainly moments of ‘what was that?’ with his accuracy, I would say that part of 2024 is something he can work through, with the right team. 

What NFL teams are seeing with the former Alabama quarterback is a player who has the ability to lead a football team, even if things aren't going well for the quarterback himself. If you look back to the 2024 season, it wasn't just the play on the field that mattered, as Nick Saban wasn't roaming the sidelines for Alabama any longer. 

Kalen DeBoer Wasn't The Only One Who Had To Deal With Nick Saban Fallout

There was a lot on his plate, and the pressure was clearly being magnified on every snap he took. It was an Alabama team trying to get out of the massive shadow that Saban had left on the program, in one of the most intriguing times in college athletics. After the former Alabama coach decided it was time to retire, Jalen Milroe had to rally the football team around Kalen DeBoer, who was not a coach many would've expected to get the job when it first opened. 

And sure, there were some rough moments during the 2024 season. After beating Georgia at home, Alabama suffered one of the most humiliating losses in recent memory, as Vanderbilt shocked the Tide' in Nashville, leading to the team taking some massive hits in the public eye. This wasn’t the Alabama team of past years, but more so a program trying to find their identity without a hall of fame coach roaming the sidelines. 

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 09: Jalen Milroe #4 of the Alabama Crimson Tide celebrates the win after a game against the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium on November 09, 2024 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

From there, it was a close win against South Carolina, followed by another loss in Knoxville to Tennessee. But, if there was one game on the 2024 schedule that summed up the ability, and leadership, of Jalen Milroe, it came against LSU in November. 

While the quarterback only passed for 109 yards that night in Tuscaloosa, it was his feet that led the way. Rushing for a career-high 185 yards and four touchdowns, Jalen Milroe had one of those games where he showed that he is a true dual-threat quarterback. 

When it wasn't going through the air, he put Alabama on his back and rushed past the LSU Tigers in a signature moment of his career. But, you know what transpired just two weeks later in Oklahoma that had folks once again backtracking on Milroe's ability. A 24-3 loss to Oklahoma, where Jalen passed for just 164 yards, along with three interceptions, had folks talking again. 

It was at that moment when the noise only amplified, but it wasn't as if Milroe was going to give in to the pressure. If you want to know the true identity of a man, test them when they are at their lowest. So when the Alabama quarterback helped lead his team to a win over Auburn with 256 yards passing and 104 yards rushing with three touchdowns, you could see the pressure finally fall off his shoulders. 

Jalen Milroe Has Seen Adversity, Gambling On Himself At NFL Draft

What else would you expect from the Alabama quarterback who helped guide his team through one of the wildest coaching transitions in recent memory? 

Now, it's not as if Alabama didn't have the talent to be successful last season, but the overbearing weight of not falling off due to Nick Saban retiring was a pressure that many don't discuss. It doesn't matter what Kalen DeBoer did in the offseason, or how he tried to usher in his own offensive philosophy, the team still needed its leaders to silence the outside noise. 

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 09: Jalen Milroe #4 of the Alabama Crimson Tide celebrates the win with fans after a game against the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium on November 09, 2024 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

While it might've gotten a little hairy at times during the 2024 season, it's easy to forget everything that was going on behind the scenes. As for what's ahead with his NFL career, hopefully someone drafts him on Thursday with the thought process of letting him learn for a year, or two. 

It might be easy to look at his decision to attend the NFL Draft on Thursday night as taking a gamble. It's clear that he no longer worries about the outside noise. Now, we'll see how long he's hanging in the green room, in Green Bay. But don't expect the cameras panning his way to faze this young man.