Patriots draft Joe Milton: How the Tennessee QB fits and scouting intel

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Patriots draft Joe Milton: How the Tennessee QB fits and scouting intel

After taking Drake Maye with the third pick in the draft, the New England Patriots went quarterback again in Round 6, nabbing Tennessee’s Joe Milton at pick No. 193. The 24-year-old Milton is a physical specimen (6 feet 5, 246 pounds) with a rocket for an arm, but he didn’t get much of a chance to impress under center until his final season in Knoxville.

A four-star recruit, Milton started his college career at Michigan, but played sparingly in his first two seasons on campus behind starter Shea Patterson. Milton became the Wolverines’ starter in 2020 and started the first five games before he was replaced by Cade McNamara. He transferred after the season.

At Tennessee, he dealt with injuries and was stuck for a time behind Hendon Hooker. But he took over for the injured Hooker late in the 2022 season and was named MVP of Tennessee’s Orange Bowl win over Clemson. As a super senior, Milton started all 12 games and completed 229 of his 354 passes for 2,813 yards and 20 touchdowns against just five interceptions.

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‘The Beast’ breakdown

Milton ranked No. 196 in Dane Brugler’s Top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:

“After not being able to secure the starting job at Michigan or during his first two seasons in Knoxville, Milton finally got his chance as a super senior and looked like a talented, yet inexperienced and inconsistent passer.

“A strong, mobile athlete, Milton has an absolute hose for an arm (in the mix for the strongest I have ever evaluated) and will make throws every game that gives evaluators hope. However, the lack of consistency with his decision-making and ball placement remains a pinnacle concern.

“Overall, Milton has the physical tools that scream first-round pick, but his passing instincts and ability to read the field are undeveloped. He is a project quarterback prospect, and some teams believe he will eventually transition to tight end in the NFL (similar path as Logan Thomas).”

How he fits

After three years with Mac Jones, this new Patriots regime is valuing arm strength. After picking Maye at No. 3, the Patriots nabbed Milton in the sixth round, a low-cost flier on a big quarterback with a rocket arm and high upside. For now, Milton will strictly be a developmental player, at best the No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart behind Maye and Jacoby Brissett. But Brissett is only on a one-year deal, so if Milton impresses coaches, he could be the backup in 2025.

Rookie impact

If all goes according to plan for the Patriots, Milton won’t have any impact as a rookie. But that’s no slight on him. The league’s new rule of designating an emergency third quarterback means Milton will be able to dress for games. The Patriots will have to work with Milton on his accuracy (he completed only 61 percent of his passes in college) and, oddly, his deep ball (despite his arm strength, he completed less than 30 percent of his throws over 20 yards). But between Maye and Milton, the Patriots now have two of the hardest-throwing quarterbacks in the league.

Depth-chart impact

The biggest impact is probably on Bailey Zappe. It already seemed like the 2022 fourth-round pick might want out of New England, even after starting six games last season. This just about seals that Zappe isn’t going to be on the team in 2024. The Patriots might keep Zappe around for training camp and trade him after that, but he has gone from their starting quarterback at the end of last season to being buried on the depth chart. His time with the Patriots will probably end before Labor Day.

They also could have picked …

At this point in the draft, New England could’ve used another defensive back or depth at tight end or running back. But it’s hard to knock this pick too much since the upside is immense. No one throws it harder than Milton, and if you can help turn him into a quarterback with even average accuracy, the pick will look great. Now, if all goes according to plan, the Patriots got their starting quarterback and his backup for 2025.

Fast evaluation

Milton is going to be fun to watch at training camp. He can throw the ball ridiculously far and will surely draw some applause from the crowd when he unleashes that arm. The odds are against his turning into a starting quarterback in the NFL given the accuracy issues, but it’s going to be fun watching him try. Plus, teams like to have backup quarterbacks who play similarly to the starter so they don’t have to drastically change things in the event of an injury. And though Maye and Milton aren’t a perfect comp, they’re both big-bodied quarterbacks with strong arms.

(Photo: Carly Mackler / Getty Images)