The NFL Draft starts on Thursday tonight. We take a look at Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III, an athletic signal-caller with a huge arm.
Milton was rated as a composite four-star and the ninth-ranked quarterback coming out of Pahokee, Fla., in 2018. He committed (and signed) to Michigan after deciding between them and the University of Florida. Milton won the starting job during his final year in Ann Arbor before transferring to Tennessee following the 2020 season. He took over as the starter at Tennessee before going down with an injury in only the second game of 2021. Backup Hendon Hooker would not let go of his starting spot until an ACL tear late in 2022. Milton would finish out the remainder of the season and also start all 12 regular season games in 2023.
Milton threw for 5,353 yards and 37 touchdowns throughout his collegiate career. He also added 661 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground. In his only full season as a starter (the shortened 2020 campaign), Milton tallied 2,813 yards on a 64.7 percent completion rate while only throwing five interceptions to his 20 touchdowns. A majority of his career rushing production also came from this past season. Milton produced 299 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.
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Joe Milton III, Quarterback, Tennessee
Name: Joe Milton III
Jersey: No. 7
Position: Quarterback
School: Tennessee
Class: Redshirt Senior
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 235 lbs.
Hand Size: 10 ¼”
Joe Milton’s Strengths
It is no secret that Joe Milton has a big arm. There are ridiculous displays of arm strength on his tape. He launches the ball effortlessly, often throws his receivers open, and does a good job placing the ball from as far as 65 or 70 yards. His ball velocity also jumps off the screen. On top of throwing it far, he can drive the ball. This helps him overcome some shortcomings with his processing issues. While his overall accuracy isn’t quite there, he can operate the quick game efficiently and won’t miss a ton of easy throws.
Milton also displays maturity in the pocket. He will hang in there and move around. He can make subtle movements to create more time. His size makes him hard to bring down, and there are many cases of him shaking off arm tackles. Furthermore, he is a legitimate threat as a runner. His size and speed combo make him less than ideal to tackle. He will lower his shoulder for extra yards and also use his great burst to get around the edge and turn upfield. He gives you good reps running on the perimeter but can also stick his nose in there and get tough yards up the middle.
Joe Milton’s Weaknesses
The biggest shortcoming in Milton’s game is the system he played in at Tennessee. He was not asked to make full-field reads or operate anywhere close to a pro-style passing game. He often stares down his target and typically throws to his first read. Lacks any anticipation and takes a long time to release the ball once he decides to throw. Milton does not possess any sort of touch, rarely squares up to his target, and does not tie his feet to his eyes. This leads to many errant throws and a lack of consistent accuracy.
Draft Projection: Late-Round Pick or Priority UDFA
Milton is a fun prospect because of his unreal arm talent, but he has a lot of room to grow. He can throw the ball as far as you need him to, but you’re never quite sure where it will end up. He lacks the ball placement to consistently make throws and completely lacks processing ability and anticipation. Milton will not be able to stare down and deliver to his first read in the NFL. He has all the physical tools teams desire, but if someone takes a chance on him, they will have their hands full. He could go in the sixth round to a team without a seventh-round pick, but he ideally falls to the last round or even becomes a priority undrafted free agent. I think there is a team willing to take on the challenge of developing him for almost zero risk.
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