Joe Milton Scouting Report

By: Michael Higgins

(Image courtesy of Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

School: Tennessee

Class: Redshirt Senior

Position: QB

HT: 6’5

WT: 235 lbs

Sideline Prospect Ranking: #90

Background: Joe Milton III was a 3-star quarterback out of Pahokee, Florida but moved to Orlando for high school. Milton was a top 300 recruit in the country and a top 15 pro-style quarterback. Milton went to Olympia High School and participated in the infamous Elite 11 quarterback competition. He competed in plenty of competitions and games that put his name on the map. Milton never passed for over 2,000 yards in high school but was able to utilize his legs as well to make him a multi-dimensional quarterback. Out of high school, Milton committed to Michigan over schools such as Florida, LSU, and Miami.

College: In Milton’s first two seasons at Michigan, he redshirted and was a backup. He did not get any significant reps or chance to prove himself under center. However, in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, he served as Michigan’s starting quarterback for most of the season. He passed for over 1,000 yards and 4 touchdowns. Ahead of the 2021 season, Joe Milton transferred to Tennessee. He served as backups to Hendon Hooker and despite him being a backup, he was still able to show off his incredibly rare arm strength. After Hooker went down with an injury, Milton started the final two games of the 2022 season and gave the Volunteers hope that he could be their starter in the future.

Strengths: Joe Milton pairs unmatched arm strength with athleticism to scramble and escape a messy pocket. His arm strength is what eventually got him the starting job at Tennessee. He truly may enter the NFL and have the strongest arm in the league, over guys like Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. He can sling the ball from anywhere on the field and get it to anywhere on the field. He can throw it from the standard 5 step hitch or from across his body. His size and elusiveness makes him difficult to bring down in the backfield. Defenders often require assistance to bring him down. Milton properly identifies the point in which he has to abandon the pocket and make a play with his legs. As his senior season progressed, he seemed to get better at taking what the defense gave him. He has all of the physical tools to be a starter in the NFL.

Weaknesses: Milton’s main problem has been talked about to death. He seems to seek out deep throws and has a problem with overthrowing the intended receiver. Sometimes the throws are not even close, they can end up being 10-15 yards in front of the target. It seems as if Milton does not know his own strength. He forces throws into tight, contested windows deep down the field when he could just take the checkdown. Another drawback to Milton’s profile is his older age and only one year of experience as a starter. He did not get the time to develop in either program.

Conclusion: While Milton has developmental traits, he may not reach his full potential until his late 20s. He has every physical tool that one could want in a quarterback. He just needs to be able to make better decisions on a more consistent basis.

Scheme Fit: Air Raid

Ideal Role: Backup QB

Best Team Fits: SEA, NYJ, NYG

Player Comparison: Anthony Richardson

Player Grade: 76.6