On a sun-drenched spring day along the shore of Lake Washington, one of the Seattle Seahawks’ most intriguing draft classes in years took the Virginia Mason Athletic practice field for the first time.
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There was first-round pick Grey Zabel, the franchise’s highest-drafted offensive guard in nearly a quarter-century. There was safety Nick Emmanwori, whose elite athleticism is surpassed only by his rare versatility. There was tight end Elijah Arroyo, who could be mistaken for a receiver with his speed and fluidity.
And yes, there was a quarterback.
Exactly one week after hearing his name called in the third round of the NFL Draft, dual-threat quarterback Jalen Milroe donned a royal blue QB practice jersey and officially began his Seahawks career by taking part in the opening day of rookie minicamp on Friday.
It was a rare sight, given the franchise’s recent history. Milroe was just the third quarterback drafted in 16 years under general manager John Schneider, joining fellow third-round pick Russell Wilson in 2012 and seventh-rounder Alex McGough in 2018.
“It was a great feeling,” Milroe said. “When I walked on the field, I really just acknowledged where I was at. My parents made a joke (that) it’s like your first day of class today. They took a bunch of pictures after practice.
“But no, it’s definitely cool to be an NFL quarterback, to get my feet wet, get acclimated with everything. It was definitely a dream come true for sure.”
Jalen Milroe in his new threads 😮💨@JalenMilroe | @Seahawks pic.twitter.com/LQJZnIa5Z9
— NFL (@NFL) May 2, 2025
A QB guru and a VR headset
With big-time speed packed into a powerful 6-foot-2, 217-pound frame, Milroe has an explosive level of athleticism that makes him a tantalizing offensive weapon. But as a passer, he enters the NFL as a developmental project.
Milroe has NFL-level arm strength, but struggled at times with accuracy and decision-making during his college career at Alabama. After a good 2023 season as a passer, he regressed last fall with 16 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions in 11 games – including just five TD passes and 10 picks in eight SEC contests.
Milroe said he’s been training for the past year and a half with quarterback guru Jordan Palmer, the brother of former NFL QB Carson Palmer. Palmer has worked with numerous NFL quarterbacks, including Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow.
Milroe said their biggest emphasis lately has been his lower-body mechanics.
“The biggest thing is everything works from the ground up at the quarterback position,” Milroe said. “It’s understanding the lower-half mechanics of how I operate. Every quarterback is different, and so … it’s understanding how to distribute my body when it comes to the lower-half mechanics. That’s been a focus for us.”
“It’s all about being an efficient passer. And so the more you work, the more you understand your body, you’re going to be more of an efficient passer. So that’s something that we continue to work on so that I can be the best quarterback I can be.”
Milroe said he also plans to use a virtual reality headset to work on his progressions and processing. Washington Commanders star QB Jayden Daniels, the reigning NFL offensive rookie of the year, attributed some of his success to using a VR headset.
“My new head coach (Mike Macdonald), we talked about doing that,” Milroe said. “And so from now until game one, I’m going to utilize that.”
An ideal spot to grow
In Seattle, Milroe enters a quarterback room that already features presumptive 2025 starter Sam Darnold and proven backup Drew Lock. That means Milroe won’t have any pressure to win the starting job in Year 1, which could create an ideal situation for him to develop and grow as a passer.
But that doesn’t mean Milroe won’t see the field this fall.
As many have speculated, Milroe’s unique skill set could be a perfect fit for specialty packages that utilize him as a change-of-pace weapon.
“My goal honestly is to come in and be the best version of myself, be better than I was the day before and earn the trust and respect of everyone in the organization – everyone from the top down, earn their trust and respect,” Milroe said.
Milroe, a native of Katy, Texas, comes from a military family. His father, Quentin, served in the Marine Corps and his mother, Lola, served in the Navy. Milroe said that background has rubbed off on him. In December, he was awarded the William V. Campbell Trophy, which is college football’s top academic award.
“Having two military parents, they definitely emphasized determination, grit, goals – short-term goals, long-term goals and understanding that it takes a team,” Milroe said. “I don’t believe in the word self-made at all. It takes a team to accomplish anything that you want to accomplish.”
Milroe’s ball placement wasn’t always pristine on Friday, but he generally appeared to have a decent day as a passer. And on the final play of the afternoon, he fired a well-placed throw up the seam to Arroyo, who used his 6-foot-5 frame to make a leaping catch over the middle.
Arroyo liked what he saw.
“Just the way he throws the ball, the way he moves, he has a chance to be an elite quarterback at the highest level,” Arroyo said.
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