There are confidence plays, and then there are moments like the one draft prospect Jalen Milroe just had.
Just days before the NFL Draft, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe gave us the latter. Appearing on the Up & Adams show with Kay Adams, the dual-threat QB was asked if he’s faster than Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson. His response?
“Accurate,” Milroe said with a confirmation nod. Then he repeated it, for emphasis.
Jalen Milroe DID NOT hesitate when saying he’s faster than Lamar Jackson. 😂@heykayadams | @JalenMilroe pic.twitter.com/W2sBCLLOJM
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) April 22, 2025
Now, it’s not a crime for a quarterback to believe in himself. It’s draft week. Everyone’s the next somebody. But going out of your way to stake your name to that claim? Against Lamar Jackson? That’s a 40-yard dash into danger territory.
Jalen Milroe leans into the Lamar Jackson comparison… hard
This came on the heels of multiple draft analysts already dropping wild takes. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network lit the fuse earlier this week when he said multiple coaches and scouts told him Milroe was “the greatest runner of the football they’ve ever evaluated at the QB position—not Lamar Jackson—Jalen Milroe.”
That’s where we’re at now. The guy who just became the NFL’s all-time leading rusher at quarterback, who’s won two MVPs, and who can turn any broken-down play into something electric—we’re replacing him before Milroe takes his first NFL snap?
Gotta get your name out there somehow.
To be fair, Milroe is a legitimate athlete. He clocked a blazing 4.37 at Alabama’s Pro Day, and he ran for 20 rushing touchdowns last season alone. His tools are there. But here’s the thing—tools don’t make you Lamar Jackson. Production, consistency, and actually playing on Sundays do.
Lamar ran for over 6,100 yards in just 103 NFL games, passing Michael Vick’s legendary mark faster than anyone ever thought possible. He’s also the only quarterback in NFL history with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Milroe? He averaged 4.2 yards per carry in college and never broke 800 yards in a single season.
Let’s not forget Jackson also threw for over 4,000 yards last year, while throwing 41 touchdowns to only four interceptions in what will go down as one of the most impressive quarterback seasons of all time. He broke the internet with some of the plays he was able to create out of thin air. All from his legs, while competing against the best athletes in the world. He embarrasses opposing defenses weekly with his quickness and speed. Let's maybe pump the breaks a bit.
This is really nothing more than just a blatant disservice to Lamar to not even step foot on an NFL practice field and start throwing this foolishness around. It's also a massive disservice to himself.
When Milroe says he’s faster, maybe he is in a straight-line sprint—we'll never know. But the NFL isn’t a track meet. It’s survival in utter chaos. But nobody, literally nobody in the history of the league, has ever navigated the chaos like Lamar Jackson. Which is why this is pretty insulting.
Jackson probably doesn't care. He'd probably take the high road and say something along the lines of "he's his own man and we shouldn't be comparing the two anyway." That's what he's done in the past with Commanders QB Jayden Daniels. And he's right. But that doesn't mean nonsense gets to go unchecked at the door.
If the Browns draft him, like many expect (either trade back late on Day 1, or grab him early Day 2), Milroe won’t have to wait long to see just how wide the Lamar gap truly is. He’ll get front-row seats—twice a year.
And if Cleveland lets him learn behind Joe Flacco? That’s poetic. Because we’ve seen that movie before. It starred a rookie sitting behind Flacco… and it ended with Lamar Jackson being the most electric player in the league. Milroe might want to temper expectations a bit before he lives to regret his brash comments.