Volunteer Country

Why Joe Milton III Could Be In First-Round Mix After 2023

After a promising end to the 2022 campaign, many NFL insiders believe that with a good year in 2023, Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton will climb up NFL Draft boards.

Brady Penn

In this story:

Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III is no stranger to overcoming the odds. As a guy that started playing Big Ten football at Michigan and had to transfer out, Milton has faced challenges. With more coming up this season, if Milton proves himself, he could rise into the early portion of next year's draft. Many NFL insiders share this sentiment, too.

Milton has the advantage of great measurables on his side, too, without even taking a snap yet in the 2023 season. With a rocket arm, Milton shares many similarities to a guy that recently heard his name called very early, despite a struggle at times in 2022. That, of course, would be Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson. Many around college football believe that Richardson has set a precedent for Milton to be a top pick. Supposedly, several NFL scouts and insiders believe that Richardson "paved the way" for Milton to rise into the meat of next year's NFL Draft if he can produce this season and show off his throwing abilities and athleticism. As we saw with Richardson, if you have the tools at an elite level, many NFL teams do not care as much about things like touch or accuracy, feeling as if they can fix those with the right coaching staff.

Richardson and Milton are built similarly; the comparison is actually staggering. Richardson, the now Indianapolis quarterback, stands at 6-4 and 244 pounds. Milton comes in an inch taller and a pound lighter. With weapons like Bru McCoy, Squirrel White, Ramel Keyton, and Josh Heupel calling plays, there is no reason to believe that Milton and his Vols couldn't succeed. If things go as planned, don't be surprised if Milton ends up being the 2024 Anthony Richardson - a polarizing prospect with limitless upside and a knack for throwing bombs. As we head into the summer phase of Tennessee's offseason, it is very notable that NFL teams are already taking notice of Milton less than a month after the conclusion of the 2023 NFL Draft.

You Might Also Like

Join the community:

Follow Evan Crowell on Twitter: @EvanVCrowell

You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @VolunteerCountry & follow us on Twitter at @VCountryFN.

Published
Brady Penn
BRADY PENN

Brady Penn is a writer who has spent multiple years covering sports for multiple publications. Starting with "The Clarion", Brevard College's school publication, where he won an award for Sportswriting from the North Carolina Collegiate Media Association. Brady continues his work with The Clarion, as well as writing for SI's Volunteer Country and writing Braves pieces for SportsTalkATL.com. Brady is a rising Senior at Brevard, where he plays Football and does Play-by-Play broadcasting for BC Baseball, Men's/Women's Basketball and Softball.

Home/Football