Joe Milton III, the quarterback for the Tennessee Volunteers, will not be playing in the Citrus Bowl after declaring for the NFL Draft on Wednesday. But how does he rank among professional scouts?
Quarterback Joe Milton III rebounded in Knoxville, Tennessee, after transferring out of the University of Michigan. Although Milton’s time with the Vols was also erratic, he appeared to be a starting quarterback and a draftable NFL prospect, something you couldn’t say a few years ago. Milton never found a consistent rhythm with the Wolverines.
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On Wednesday afternoon, Milton announced that he would forego the Citrus Bowl and give rookie quarterback Nico Iamaleava the starting job in order to enter the NFL Draft. It’s crucial to remember that Milton is with the team and will be there throughout the entire week, including when the team plays on New Year’s Day. Now that Milton’s college career is over, many are curious about his draft stock.
Milton’s grade is comparable in the most recent rankings of the top 2024 quarterbacks released by two reputable ESPN draft analysts. Milton is ranked No. 10 quarterback in Mel Kiper Jr.’s class by Jordan Reid, who ranks him No. 11. He is ranked third on both lists by quarterbacks Jayden Daniels of LSU and Spencer Rattler of South Carolina. For those who have followed football throughout the conference this season, his position is not surprising.
Milton appears to be a day three pick, and there are rumors that he might be an undrafted free agent. Milton has his work cut out for him between now and the NFL Draft in April, but there are a lot of events leading up to that. A few league executives have stated, in confidence, that Milton must keep resolving his inconsistent play in order to demonstrate more peaks than valleys.
