Joel Klatt knew the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine was a perfect opportunity for Jalen Milroe to really distinguish himself.

And by most accounts, the former Alabama dual-threat quarterback did just that, showing off many of the intangible traits that helped him shine at times over the past two seasons in Tuscaloosa.

“The Combine is a perfect location for a player like Jalen Milroe. … I really love Jalen Milroe, I really do. Now, is he inconsistent? Yes. Does he show top-end talent and traits? Absolutely. And that’s exactly why he is tailor-made for a combine,” Klatt said during Monday’s episode of The Joel Klatt Show. “I wish he would’ve run (the 40-yard dash), because I think that would’ve really grabbed some attention amongst the evaluators in the NFL. I think it would’ve created buzz. … But he didn’t. That’s fine.”

While he didn’t participate in the 40-yard dash — only three QBs did to be fair — Milroe showed off his cannon of a throwing arm during passing drills Saturday and was able to otherwise catch the attention of NFL personnel with just his physical presence and affable personality during team and media interviews.

“But just watching him throw and watching him on tape, seeing him in person – trust me, when you see him in person, you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, this guy is an Adonis’” Klatt continued. “Athletically, he does things other guys can’t. And from an evaluator’s standpoint, whenever you see something you can’t teach, it raises your eyebrows and it draws you in, it draws your attention.

“So this type of setting is perfect for Jalen Milroe. In a lot cases, it’s similar to the Anthony Richardson phenomenon. I think teams are going to fall in love with his potential.”

Joel Klatt: ‘People are going to fall in love’ with Jalen Milroe

Klatt’s comparison to Richardson, who started just one year at Florida in 2022 but flashed enough potential for the Indianapolis Colts to select him with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, appears pretty apt. Currently projected as a likely Day 2 pick by most draft prognosticators, Milroe could be an option to climb draft boards in the days and weeks following last week’s NFL Combine as teams go to work hammering down their personal player rankings before Pro Days begin later this month.

Of course, there are some glaring differences. Richardson is 6-foot-4 and north of 240 pounds, while Milroe measured out at 6-2 and 217 pounds in Indianapolis — though most of that is muscle. And the film on Milroe is pretty well established with 26 career starts over the past two seasons in Tuscaloosa.

Still, Milroe has the physical gifts that could continue to distinguish him from fellow potential Day 1 challengers such as Ole Miss‘ Jaxson Dart and Louisville‘s Tyler Shough, especially if he runs a sub 4.4-second 40-yard dash at Alabama’s Pro Day on March 19.

“The problem is that there are few and far between guys, quarterbacks in particular, that can do the top-end things, the ceiling, that Jalen Milroe can do,” Klatt continued. “So when you’re projecting, a lot of times evaluators and teams and coaches believe that they’re the ones that can produce the floor for a player. If your floor is really low, they can develop you to a point where your floor is no longer low, and then you can capitalize on the top-end talent. That’s what Andy Reid thought with Patrick Mahomes, and he was right.

“So even though he has shown some inconsistencies – and the film against Michigan is not going to help him out – that top-end stuff, man, I’m telling you, people are going to fall in love with that. And Indianapolis is certainly a location that that type of love affair starts.”