Is Joe Milton better than who the Dallas Cowboys could've drafted in the fifth round? NFL Draft expert weighs in
There's an inherent question about the Dallas Cowboys' trade for quarterback Joe Milton that will go a long way in determining its success in the future.The Cowboys were admittedly looking into adding a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft following the departure of Cooper Rush in free agency. With Trey Lance likely headed elsewhere, a […]
There's an inherent question about the Dallas Cowboys' trade for quarterback Joe Milton that will go a long way in determining its success in the future.
The Cowboys were admittedly looking into adding a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft following the departure of Cooper Rush in free agency. With Trey Lance likely headed elsewhere, a backup for Dak Prescott was always in the cards.
But by acquiring Milton, suddenly the question becomes: Is he better than what the Cowboys could've realistically gotten in April?
Let's forget about Day 1 and 2. If the Cowboys were going to pull the trigger on a backup for Prescott, it was never going to happen before the fifth round. By swapping a fifth-rounder with seventh-rounder, the value Dallas gave up is closer to an early sixth rounder. So which quarterback could've been available in that range that would've been better than Milton?
According to A to Z Sports' Draft expert Ryan Roberts' final QB rankings, there are three quarterbacks in this year's class with either a fifth or sixth-round grade:
- Dillon Gabriel (Oregon) – 5th round
- Will Howard (Ohio State) – 6th round
- Kyle McCord (Syracuse) – 6th round
Roberts also listed Riley Leonard from Notre Dame as a "late 6th / early 7th" grade.
According to Roberts though, Milton would only be ranked above Leonard in the grades ahead.
"In the 2025 NFL Draft class, Milton would be ranked as my ninth overall quarterback," Roberts said. "While the tools are exciting, the floor is troubling. That’s especially true for a player who projects most as a backup quarterback, at least early on."
Though the above suggests the Cowboys might've had a shot at landing a better prospect had they waited until April, their bet is clearly based solely on the upside. If they cash in on Milton's "lottery ticket odds," the trade will be remembered as a steal.
Joe Milton scouting report from Ryan Roberts:
Joe Milton was interesting player coming out of Tennessee, but also an extremely frustrating player. After beginning his career at Michigan, Milton eventually ended up with the Volunteers. He won the starting spot in 2021 but was replaced early in the season by Hendon Hooker. His inconsistency as a deep ball thrower was especially troubling considering his arm strength.
In the 2023 season, Milton got a second chance as a starter. He had his moments but was still maddeningly inconsistent. From a physical perspective, there is a lot to like to Milton. He has an outstanding frame, and one of the strongest arms in the NFL. There is no throw that he can’t make on a football field, or at least an area he can’t reach. Milton is also a good athlete and defenses will have to keep attention on him as a running threat.
The issues are that physical tools aren’t all that matters for a quarterback. From an accuracy perspective, he has been extremely poor in terms of ball placement. Milton also struggles to reach defenses from a post snap perspective. Even when he does read correctly, he is often very late working through those progressions. There just isn’t much anticipation in his game.
The hope is that the year working in an NFL offense has helped to speed up Milton a good bit. While Josh Heupel is a great offensive mind for the college game, not much of his offense is translatable to the NFL game. That is a complete guessing game at this point, making Milton a complete wildcard in terms of his place in development.
