It’s not unusual for NFL executives to state their excitement over their draft picks. It’s actually a very normal claim. Sometimes it’s true, sometimes it’s lip service. Recently on the Adam Schefter Podcast, de facto New England Patriots general manager Eliot Wolf expressed excitement over a certain individual who was a bit of a polarizing draft prospect.
There is obvious excitement over third-overall pick Drake Maye. While Wolf did speak on the former North Carolina Tar Heel, he had glowing things to say about the Patriots sixth-round pick, Joe Milton.
Patriots Saw “Too Much Talent” to Pass Up
Even though Drake Maye is the future of the organization, that didn’t stop them from taking another quarterback late in the draft. After taking Maye number three overall on night one of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Patriots grabbed University of Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton with the 193rd overall pick in the sixth round.
“I had the opportunity to watch Joe play live, the last game of the year against Vanderbilt,” Wolf said during a recent appearance on the Adam Schefter Podcast.
“I got there really early and watched him warm up, and just watching him throw the football is unbelievable. He’s 6-5, 245 pounds. He’s got a rocket for an arm. He’s athletic. He played in [Josh] Heupel’s offense there, which is not an NFL offense, but we feel like there’s some things that we can work with and develop. It was just one of those picks where there was too much talent in him to pass that up.”
It’s clear the New England Patriots brass sees something special in Milton. He has very noticeable traits and he could be a game changer if his potential is realized.
“Ben McAdoo [and] Alex Van Pelt… they learned from Mike McCarthy. I think [he’s] a great quarterback developer. They have the QB school stuff they did with [him]… they’re going to implement that stuff for these guys. We’ll see what they can do with them. Having worked with those guys before made it easier and [made us] more confident to be able to take a raw guy like Joe.”
Eliot Wolf hasn’t been officially named the Patriots general manager, but signs are pointing in that direction. Wolf is the son of legendary Packers GM Ron Wolf. Even though the Patriots have not named him GM, he has already started reshaping them back into a future contender in the AFC East.
Joe Milton’s Roller Coaster College Football Career
Joe Milton was a four-star recruit before beginning his career at the University of Michigan. He became the starter in 2020, but only started five games before losing the job to Cade McNamara. In 2021, Milton transferred to Tennessee and was named the starter. After injuring his ankle, he lost his starting job again…this time to Hendon Hooker.
After serving as the backup QB for the remainder of the 2021 season and most of the 2022 regular season, Joe Milton was once again thrust into the starting spot after Hooker tore his ACL in a loss at South Carolina. Milton went on to start the final two games of the season, and all 12 games of the 2023 regular season.
Milton was a bit of a polarizing draft prospect, as people clearly saw his raw arm talent. However, they questioned the rest of his game. At 6’5″, 246lbs, Joe Milton is a physical specimen but was a little timid in the run game at times. When the Patriots traded back into the sixth round to take him, it was a bit of a surprise considering they had already drafted their quarterback of the future with Drake Maye.
Always known for a strong arm, Milton always seemed to struggle with his accuracy and his willingness to run in the Tennessee offense. He has possibly the strongest arm in the NFL, but he will need time to develop with NFL coaching in order to be a viable starting option for anybody. It likely won’t ever be for the New England Patriots, but he most certainly can develop his skills with them.
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