National media outlet gives early take on Joe Milton's chances of being a first-round pick in 2024
The Tennessee Vols haven't had quarterbacks selected in back-to-back drafts since 1994 and 1995 when Heath Shuler and Jerry Colquitt were drafted in back-to-back years. But that could be changing in 2024. Hendon Hooker was selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft and there's a really good chance that Joe Milton is […]
The Tennessee Vols haven't had quarterbacks selected in back-to-back drafts since 1994 and 1995 when Heath Shuler and Jerry Colquitt were drafted in back-to-back years.
But that could be changing in 2024.
Hendon Hooker was selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft and there's a really good chance that Joe Milton is selected in next year's draft.
If Milton receives the same treatment that Kentucky quarterback Will Levis received this offseason then the Tennessee quarterback will be projected as a first-round selection.
Milton has all the physical tools that Levis has (and then some). He's also a smart player who has proved that he's an elite leader (Levis is not an elite leader). If Levis was projected as a first-round pick then it's a no-brainer that Milton should be.
For now, Milton is being labeled by 247Sports as a dark horse candidate to be selected in the first round.
247Sports compared MIlton's potential rise to Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson's rise this past year (Richardson was selected with the No. 4 pick in this year's draft). That's somewhat fair, though Milton seems to be a better passer than Richardson (something 247Sports acknowledged).
From 247Sports: I have a feeling Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton is going to be the 2024 NFL Draft’s version of Anthony Richardson. I had a coach at Michigan tell me, without me asking, that Milton was going to win a Heisman Trophy in the spring of 2019. Maybe that can happen in 2023. Milton has a cannon arm and incredible athletic traits to fit his 6-foot-5, 245-pound frame. The difference between Milton and Richardson is he is going to have to throw the ball for Tennessee weekly with consistent accuracy while going through progressions in their tempo-based choice system offense. I like his chances passing it 10 times more than Richardson at this stage.
If Milton is drafted next year after Hooker was drafted this year, it will just make Tennessee that much more attractive to elite high school quarterbacks.
And if Milton goes in the first round, it might officially make Tennessee the go-to destination for those elite quarterback recruits.
