Patriots pick QB Joe Milton in sixth round of 2024 NFL draft. What to know

The New England Patriots selected Tennessee QB Joe Milton with the No. 193 pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Milton spent three seasons at Michigan and three seasons at Tennessee, starting a combined 21 games in his career. Here’s everything you need to know about Milton.

Joe Milton scouting report

Milton has the strongest throwing arm in this draft and probably in most drafts. The question is whether he’s more like All-Pro Josh Allen or draft bust JaMarcus Russell, who had wildly different NFL careers despite both touting a right-armed cannon. In college, Milton was reasonably productive but never reached his full potential. He lacked touch on his throws and didn’t go through progressions fast enough in the passing game. He also had good straight-line speed and raw athleticism for a big-bodied quarterback, but he’s not an instinctive runner. Countless coaches have believed that they could finally tap into Milton’s full capabilities, but none have yet.

Joe Milton height, weight

Milton is 6-foot-5 and weighs 235 lbs. He's a Pahokee, Florida native and attended Olympia High School (Florida).

Joe Milton college stats

Across 43 college games, Milton threw for 2,813 yards and 20 TDs with five interceptions. He also rushed for 299 yards and seven touchdowns.

Joe Milton highlights

Milton showed impressive flashes of his potential, but those performances were never sustained. That added to the frustration of his overall resume. In the Orange Bowl to end the 2022 season, Milton was 19-of-28 passing for 251 yards and three TDs to earn the MVP. He showed his full array of throws, effortlessly completing deep balls and fitting passes into tight windows over the middle. He showed it again against Kentucky in 2023, completing 17 of 20 passes for 227 yards and one TD. And he’s scattered eye-popping throws throughout his career to build an impressive highlight reel, but those plays have been surrounded by spells of inconsistency.

Joe Milton NFL combine measurables

Milton’s big arm was on display at the combine, where he easily completed passes of more than 70 yards. And then he stretched his range to almost 80 yards during a choreographed throwing session at pro day. He overthrew a few passes at both events. But Milton thrives in passing workouts, where his raw throwing talent is hard to match. He also showed more smoothness and rhythm in his drops while taking snaps under center at pro day. He also ran the 40 in 4.56 seconds and did a back flip, showing his unique athleticism for a big quarterback.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Patriots pick QB Joe Milton in 2024 NFL draft. What to know