Joe Milton was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft based in large part on the physical tools and athleticism he possessed. The former Tennessee Vols quarterback was the second quarterback drafted by the Pats this year, and a distant second at that. Former UNC signal caller Drake Maye was taken with the third overall pick of the draft.
One might think that makes Maye the future of the position, and one that should see the field early. After all, the idea of a young quarterback starting off on the sideline with a clipboard has started to go the way of the dodo in recent years.
However, Fox Sports' Colin Cowherd sees things differently. According to Cowherd, Milton's playmaking ability is something the Patriots simply don't have enough of elsewhere.
"What does that tell you? That the sixth-round quarterback Joe Milton is going to probably win the job because he's the athlete. He's the bigger, stronger, faster, more dynamic athlete, and they don't have any at wide receiver, tight end, [or] at running back. So, when I read this story, my take is Joe Milton will make plays. Listen, Kirk Cousins and RG3 in 2012 got drafted by Washington. They figured out by year two Cousins is the guy. I think that's what we're looking at now. I don't think I'm overreacting."
Cowherd's take on the situation in New England is twofold. He's saying that the Patriots don't have enough athleticism and playmaking ability at other positions, so Milton's can help provide something there.
That's pretty flawed in that the quarterback position is one where athleticism simply isn't enough to succeed there. That's the case in both college and especially in the NFL. If it was, all kinds of athletes would have succeeded there. You have to be able to fit the ball into tight windows and throw with anticipation. Those are things Milton has never been able to do well.
The other thing Cowherd is saying is that it could be a situation where Milton starts, but Maye ends up being the guy later on down the line. That's a more plausible statement, particularly given recent comments the Boston Globe's Ben Volin that Milton has outperformed Maye so far in camp. If Milton was to continue to outplay Maye, it's possible he could end up being the guy to start off the year - although still unlikely to happen in my opinion.
Regardless, it appears that Milton has done enough so far in camp to convince both local and national media to believe that he could give current Pats head coach and former Tennessee linebacker Jerod Mayo something to think about his preseason. That's about as good as anyone could have hoped for the former Vols QB.
Related: Tennessee appears to be bringing back a redundant addition to Neyland Stadium
Local Tennessee State
Most Popular
Comments / 0