The Seattle Seahawks could be a great place for a quarterback with a strong throwing ability.
As anticipated by Fox Sports draft expert Rob Rang, he predicts that the Seahawks will choose Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joe Milton III with the 118th overall pick in the fourth round.
“If the Seahawks are open to drafting a quarterback with potential this year, Milton seems like a perfect combination of upside and value at this stage of the draft,” states Rang.
Reasons Why Seahawks Need a 'Potential' Quarterback
Rang’s reasoning is simple since the Seahawks currently only have two quarterbacks on their roster — Geno Smith and Sam Howell. Seattle clearly needs a quarterback with potential or one for training camp, and Milton could fill that gap.
The 24-year-old quarterback is one of the most impressive prospects in the 2024 NFL draft. While he may not be among the top prospects, Milton is visually very impressive. He not only has impressive size at 6-foot-5 and 246 pounds, but also the strongest arm in this draft class.
“Moreover, at 6-foot-5 and 246 pounds, Milton certainly looks like an NFL quarterback and has arguably the strongest arm in this class,” states Rang. “He would be drafted as a clear third-choice developmental quarterback with the potential to become a starter, as well as the size and athleticism to possibly provide the Seahawks with a Wildcat or Tush-Push variation on offense or simply on the scout team to prepare the defense for opponents with mobile quarterbacks.”
Milton proved physically that he indeed has the strongest arm among this year’s prospects at the NFL Combine. As pointed out by Jacob Camenker of The Sporting News, Milton made the fastest and longest throw at the Combine.
Joe Milton's Limited Experience Despite 6 Years in College
That being said, Milton is expected to be a Day 3 pick for several reasons. Not only is he 24 years old — older than most prospects — he also lacks experience. Unlike other six-year quarterbacks who start many games, Milton started a total of 18 games during his college career. He was only a starting quarterback for one full season.
During his single season as the Volunteers’ starter, Milton led Tennessee to an 8-4 record with 20 passing and six rushing touchdowns, while throwing just five interceptions.
In addition to his lack of experience, Milton's excessively strong arm can be a disadvantage for short throws.
Via According to Bleacher Report’s Derrik Klassen:
“However, Milton tends to throw in a robotic manner. He struggles to adjust and consistently find opportunities to throw beyond his initial read, although there are occasional instances of him doing so,” writes Klassen. “Milton also has accuracy issues, especially with shorter throws. The closer a throw is to the line of scrimmage, the more Milton’s intense speed and lack of softness becomes a burden rather than a benefit.”
Despite Milton's flaws, he possesses too much talent as a quarterback to overlook, especially in the later rounds of the draft.
Since the Seahawks need a young quarterback to develop, it's very reasonable to pick Milton in the later rounds.
