How the Patriots can make the most of Joe Milton’s special arm talent
In the late rounds of the NFL Draft, the picks are dart throws. Generally at that point, teams are picking players based on individual standout traits rather than the prospect’s overall makeup. On the board with the 193rd overall pick, the New England Patriots did exactly that.
Of all the players with all the physical traits in this draft, there may be no single trait more impressive than the arm strength of Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton, who was the Patriots’ pick in that spot. Milton’s arm strength became the stuff of legends among college football fans over the past few years.
READ MORE:
—Did the Patriots reach on Ja’Lynn Polk?
—The Patriots have a plan to maximize third-round pick Caedan Wallace
—Javon Baker already has a connection with Drake Maye
Remember that TV commercial for cell phones from the early 00’s starring Peyton Manning, where he asks viewers if they “like 6’5, 230-pound quarterbacks – laser-rocket arm?” He’s referring to himself there, but off just those attributes he just as well could be talking about Milton.
Milton’s highlight reel is full of throws that simply don’t make sense. Off platform, off his back foot, zipping the ball 50-plus yards. Those kinds of throws, and his willingness to chuck the ball deep, have earned the 6-foot-5, 235-pound QB the nickname ‘Bazooka Joe.’
He’s showcased his arm strength other ways as well, from throwing a ball 71 yards in the air on a dot at the NFL Combine (he also had the fastest ball speed at the Combine at 62 MPH), to going outside at his pro day so his deep throws didn’t hit the roof, to throwing an Orange over 100 yards during practice ahead of Tennessee’s Orange Bowl appearance last year. Milton has said in the past the furthest he’s ever thrown a football is over 90 yards.
Apparently, arm strength wasn’t always Milton’s carrying trait though. “I know growing up, my arm was not that strong,” Milton said when speaking to Patriots reporters Saturday afternoon. “My mom used to say it was because I used to throw the ball over the top of buildings and try to go run and catch it on the other side. Other than that, I’ll say like, growing up it was probably like 50 to 60, but you know, as I got older and stronger and kept working at my craft, it got way better for sure.”
On the orange throw in particular, Milton thinks he has room to improve. “The orange was pretty fun, but I think I can throw an orange further than that,” he said. “That was right after practice and that was a game week, so it was pretty tough to throw it as far as I wanted to, just because my arm was already tired from practice. But I feel like if I was given an orange again, I would throw it further than that for sure.”
At the same time, Milton’s arm isn’t his only special tool. He’s a plus runner with good speed for his size making him a haul to take down in the open field.
Those skills and size left some wondering if Milton could be in for a position change in the NFL – specifically to tight end. While his arm talent is significant, his accuracy and decision-making are areas where he struggles, and haven’t improved much since his freshman year at Michigan in 2018, leading to speculation a position change would be his best chance at sticking as a pro.
While that was the talk around Milton heading into the draft, it apparently never reached him. “You are the first person I have actually heard that from, to be real with you,” Milton said when asked on Saturday if he’d have any interest in changing positions.
“That will never happen,” he added.
On their side of things, the Patriots appear to be in agreement with Milton on that, at least for now.
“We’ll have to see how that plays out once we put the pads on, but we drafted him as a quarterback,” head coach Jerod Mayo told reporters during his post-draft press conference.
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 30: Joe Milton III #7 of the Tennessee Volunteers throws a pass in the second quarter during the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Neyland Stadium on September 30, 2023 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
To stick at quarterback, there are parts of Milton’s game that will need to improve. Again, accuracy is an issue and there are times he’s too loose with the football. Some of his issues are similar to (but not to the same extent as) Drake Maye, so the Patriots’ coaching staff will likely be focusing on them in the QB room anyway.
What would Milton sticking at quarterback look like in New England? Ideally he won’t end up playing any meaningful snaps for the team, after they took Drake Maye third overall to be the new franchise quarterback.
MORE: Where was Joe Milton in our pre-draft quarterback rankings?
Yet the Packer tree that new Patriots de facto general manager Eliot Wolf comes from works under a philosophy that at such an important position, it’s better to have too many quarterbacks than too few. Developing players at that position, even with an established starter, can benefit the team in a number of ways from having a high-level backup to seeing a player end up yielding a positive return in a trade.
Milton’s unique skillset also makes him an attractive option to be a ‘package player.’ That’s not the same as moving positions, but the Patriots could have certain situations where they put Milton on the field. That could include Hail Marys to take advantage of his big arm, designed quarterback runs to take advantage of his size and athleticism.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 2: Joe Milton III #7 of the Tennessee Volunteers calls a play against the Virginia Cavaliers in the second half at Nissan Stadium on September 2, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Carly Mackler/Getty Images)
Yes, Maye is also big and mobile, but it could be a chance for the Patriots to earn the same results on very physical plays (QB sneaks, etc) without their franchise player taking the toll. Current Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett actually had a very similar role during his time with the Colts when backing up Andrew Luck.
There could be other unique personnel groupings and formations that are designed specifically for his unique skillset, kind of like the Patriots briefly tried with Malik Cunningham last year. Don’t go so far to compare Milton to Taysom Hill though, because again it doesn’t sound like he’ll be playing any time soon.
While Joe Milton’s regular season role with the Patriots – if there ends up being one at all – is to be decided, he should get plenty of chances to show what he can do during the preseason. As is the case any time Milton steps on the football field – it will be must-watch to see if he does something no other quarterbacks can do.
More about Joe Milton below…
What the draft experts are saying about new Patriots quarterback Joe Milton
