Jalen Milroe joining the Seahawks in the 2025 NFL Draft was a huge deal, not just because he is an exciting talent, but because John Schneider almost never drafts quarterbacks. Since taking over personnel decisions, Schneider has been incredibly selective at the position, making Milroe’s selection noteworthy. After Russell Wilson in 2012, Seattle didn’t draft another QB until Alex McGough in the 7th round of 2018, then finally Milroe in 2025. That is some exclusive company, no doubt.
The Uncommon Path for a Developmental Quarterback
Unlike those previous quarterback investments, Milroe arrived with zero expectation of immediately taking snaps. The Seahawks already committed to Sam Darnold as the starter, and we had Drew Lock for experienced backup duty. So, Milroe landed in what was honestly the perfect spot for development: a quarterback with significant physical gifts but also a lot of refinement needed. Opinions on Milroe were all over the map before the draft, with some evaluators thinking his athletic profile and arm talent were Day 1 worthy, while others questioned his inconsistencies, seeing him as more of a Day 3 guy. The Seahawks bet big on that upside, viewing Milroe as a project, not someone who needed to compete right away.
Rookie Year Was Not About Stats, It Was About Growth
Seattle approached his rookie season exactly like that. Instead of pushing for live game snaps, the priority was letting him rebuild parts of his game without the pressure of competing for the starting job. That means his rookie season was never going to be judged by flashy stats. It was all about showing signs of growth behind the scenes. The tricky part is, there just wasn’t much regular season tape of him to truly evaluate that growth in action. How do you assess progress when you don’t play?
Unleashing the Untapped Talent
Even though he was the third quarterback, the coaching staff clearly wanted to explore ways to use Milroe’s incredible athletic ability in the offense. They rolled out some cool packages, featuring two-quarterback looks and designed runs. They wanted to leverage that explosive rushing ability that made him such an intriguing prospect coming out of Alabama. So, while we did not see a ton, you know the coaching staff saw the potential there.
What’s next? We are heading into year two with Milroe, and the big question for the Emerald City is how much more of that athletic upside Coach Macdonald and OC Brian Fleury can unlock. Will we see those exciting two-QB looks become a bigger part of the offense? It is time to see that development pay off.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Field Gulls.
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