2 weeks Ago By Dan Treacy
To many, Alabama QB Jalen Milroe simply didn't look the part in his final season with the Crimson Tide. The redshirt junior only threw 16 touchdowns in addition to 11 interceptions while Alabama lost four games for the first time since 2007. Something, however, kept Milroe squarely on NFL radars: his blazing speed.
While Milroe's hopes of emerging as a top-tier quarterback in the 2025 draft class weren't realized, he is considered by many evaluators to be part of the next tier behind Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, largely because of his athleticism. 📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp Here's a look at Milroe's 40-yard dash time and how it compares to some of the NFL's other speedy quarterbacks. Jalen Milroe 40 time Alabama reported Milroe's 40 time as 4.
37 seconds from his pro day, but Sports Illustrated reported most scouts timed Milroe's time at either 4.44 or 4.45 seconds.
That was faster than his first run, which was between 4.48 and 4.51 seconds.
While the discrepancy is the unfortunate result of Milroe not running the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, a choice most quarterback prospects made as well, a 4.44-second 40 time is still remarkably fast for the position. Only seven of 24 running backs who ran the 40-yard dash at the combine ran it faster than 4.
44 seconds, and less than half of wide receivers who participated in the drill can say the same. Milroe rushed for a career-high 726 yards and 20 touchdowns in his final season at Alabama, which makes his passing touchdown total a bit deceiving. Milroe accounted for 36 total touchdowns, and that's bound to get the attention of NFL scouts.
Here's a closer look at how Milroe's 40 time compares to some of the NFL's dual-threat quarterbacks. MORE 2025 NFL DRAFT: SN's 7-round mock | Top 250 big board | Expert mock draft roundup Jalen Milroe 40 time vs. Lamar Jackson Ravens QB Lamar Jackson ran an unofficial 4.
34 40-yard dash at Louisville's "speed day" in 2017. He did not run the 40-yard dash at either the NFL Combine or his pro day. That estimation likely has to be taken with a grain of salt, knowing Alabama was less than truthful about Milroe's 40 time, but Jackson rushed for more than 1,500 yards and 18 touchdowns in two different seasons at Louisville.
It's hard to do that without having blazing speed, and Jackson certainly has it. NFL teams aren't looking for Milroe to be the next Jackson — if they were, he would be in the conversation for the No. 1 pick — but like Jackson, interested teams are banking on getting Milroe's arm to the point that he can be a legitimate starting option knowing his athleticism is already off the charts.
MORE NFL DRAFT: Ranking the top 10 quarterbacks, from Cam Ward to Tyler Shough Ranking the top 10 running backs, from Ashton Jeanty to Trevor Etienne Ranking the top 10 wide receivers, from Tetairoa McMillan to Isaiah Bond Ranking the top 10 tight ends, from Tyler Warren to Mitchell Evans Ranking the top 10 edge rushers, from Abdul Carter to JT Tuimoloau Jalen Milroe 40 time vs. Anthony Richardson Colts QB Anthony Richardson decided to show off his speed at the combine in 2023 and ran an official 4.43 40-yard dash.
That's only slightly ahead of Milroe if the Alabama QB's time was indeed 4.44. Richardson is taller than Milroe, which was part of his appeal entering the NFL.
Not only was he fast, but he had the build of a Josh Allen-type who could muscle his way through defenders if necessary. Milroe isn't short, but at 6-foot-2, he's not a carbon copy of Richardson, whose ridiculous arm strength also intrigued teams. Jalen Milroe 40 time vs.
Justin Fields Justin Fields clocked in at 4.44 seconds in the 40-yard dash at his pro day in 2021, meaning Milroe just about matched the now- Jets QB's time. Fields only rushed for 1,133 yards and 19 touchdowns in three collegiate seasons (two as a starter), so he didn't post the gaudy numbers Jackson or even Milroe did at times, but he still used his speed to his advantage at Ohio State and became a weapon on the ground for the Bears during his three seasons in Chicago.
Fields also serves as a cautionary tale about drafting a quarterback whose athleticism is his best trait. While there is still time to turn it around, Fields has yet to cement himself as a long-term starter because of his limitations as a passer. MORE NFL: Best two-way players in history: How Deion Sanders, others dominated both sides of the ball 10 most shocking NFL Draft slides of all time, from Aaron Rodgers to Laremy Tunsil The heaviest players of all time: Where Mekhi Becton, Refrigerator Perry and more rank Most NFL Draft picks by a school in one year: Revisiting 2022 Georgia and the biggest classes Most iconic NFL Draft outfits in history: Ranking the most memorable fashion statements Oldest players drafted in NFL history: Chris Weinke, Brandon Weeden among biggest outliers.
