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.

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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.

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.

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.

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...

The New England Patriots needed one quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft. In the end, they walked away with two.

That second quarterback is Tennessee’s Joe Milton. The Patriots selected Milton with the 193rd overall pick - the pick they got back after trading away another quarterback, Mac Jones.

--Did the Patriots reach on Ja'Lynn Polk?
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--Javon Baker already has a connection with Drake Maye

Milton is an older prospect with some outstanding physical traits. However he’s not as experienced as most players his age (he turned 24 earlier this spring) with just one full season as a starter under his belt.

What should Patriots fans know about Milton? Here’s what the top experts were saying leading up to the draft.

“Rare physical specimen with the proverbial "arm talent to make all the NFL throws," but he's prevented from doing so by a lack of timing, accuracy and touch. Milton is gifted with a cannon for a right arm and can throw the ball as hard or as far as you want. His fastballs are often inaccurate and difficult to catch for moving targets, and he was wildly inconsistent locating his deep throws. He can elude pressure, extend plays and put jaw-dropping highlights on tape, but he's never been able to mature his game from splashy to consistent. He's primarily a single-side reader who struggles to improvise with his eyes. The physical ingredients could get him drafted on Day 3, but his lack of development over six seasons discourages his projection.”

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"“A one-year starter at Tennessee, Milton waited his turn to be the triggerman in head coach Josh Heupel’s offense, which is an offspring of Art Briles’ system (spacing and fast tempo to put defenses in conflict). After not being able to secure the starting job at Michigan or during his first two seasons in Knoxville, he finally got his chance as a super senior and looked like a talented, yet inexperienced and inconsistent passer. A strong, mobile athlete, Milton has an absolute hose for an arm (in the mix for the strongest I have ever evaluated) and will make throws every game that gives evaluators hope. However, the lack of consistency with his decision-making and ball placement remains a pinnacle concern. Overall, Milton has the physical tools that scream first-round pick, but his passing instincts and ability to read the field are undeveloped. He is a project quarterback prospect, and some teams believe he will eventually transition to tight end in the NFL (similar path as Logan Thomas).”

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“Joe Milton has an elite blend of physical tools but needs to refine portions of his game to be a consistent starter at the next level…Joe Milton III’s A-trait is his arm strength. He can send passes 60+ yards without a crow hop and with the flick of his wrist. He has easy velocity to drive throws in the middle of the field and into tight windows. Milton can make every single throw in the book and make it look effortlessly. He excels in targeting the short to intermediate areas of the defense. 2023 was his most efficient season as a passer.

Listed as 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, Milton’s frame and athleticism force defenses to play 11-on-11 football. He can expand the offensive playbook with designed QB runs. Milton can improvise with his legs as well.

Milton is a “fastball pitcher”. He can throw the 100 mph heat seeker but lacks a change-up, curve, sliders, etc. He tried to alter the tempo and pacing of his throws especially deep down the field but missed the mark more times than not. He struggles with finding the right amount of air, and touch to put on passes down the field. His accuracy and ball placement remain inconsistent. Milton's mechanics are a big part of the issue. He tends to over-stride when stepping into throws leading to poor ball placement and high passes. When pressured, if Milton doesn’t use his legs, he will stand flat-footed to throw from his upper body.

Milton projects as a day 2/3 developmental prospect. The physical tools teams want are there but reining is needed to see how consistent he can be as an accurate passer.”

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"Joe Milton is an uber-talented player with very few projectible traits and experience for the NFL.

Everything with Milton starts with the arm talent. He has a quick, powerful throwing motion in which the ball jumps off his hand. Milton throws with blistering velocity and the kind of downfield range that can threaten defenses goal line to goal line. All of his best throws are down the field. In theory, every piece of grass must be defended against Milton.

Milton is a good athlete as well. He is explosive and agile for his size, but wins more as a strider in space. He is a dangerous mover when he leaves the pocket and commits to being a runner.

Milton shows admirable toughness in the pocket, too. He isn't afraid of the pocket closing on him, and he's shown flashes of impressive pocket movement with his eyes up.

However, Milton is a sort of robotic thrower. He struggles to adjust and find throwing platforms consistently beyond his first read, though there are sparse flashes of him doing so.

Milton is also largely inaccurate, especially in the underneath area. The closer a throw is to the line of scrimmage, the more Milton's intense velocity and lack of touch is a burden rather than a gift.

Moreover, Milton comes from a Tennessee offense that asked very little from him as a processor. A good chunk of the offense was built on screens, RPOs and simplified vertical reads. Milton requires a ton of projection as an NFL-level processor and decision-maker.

Milton is too talented to not take a chance on. His arm talent is otherworldly, and his pocket toughness is a good cornerstone trait. With that said, being a 24-year-old developmental player with spotty accuracy suggests Milton faces a long and winding road before he becomes a serious starting quarterback in the NFL."

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“Milton grades out as a late-round or potential PFA prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft. He has one of the biggest arms in the class, and that alone will generate interest for him. But in Milton’s profile, there’s also plenty of uncertainty regarding how he’ll translate in the NFL.

Physical tools serve as the main selling point for Milton. At around 6’5″, 235 pounds, he’s an exceptional linear athlete with great burst and speed in open space, and he’s also a rocket-armed signal-caller who can drive elite velocity to all ranges with effortless ease.

Milton’s physical gifts also trickle into other parts of the passing game. His arm strength lends him impressive deep passing ability, and his velocity allows him to drive the ball where only his WR can reach. He’s also tough and poised in the pocket.

All this being said, Milton’s near-complete lack of autonomous processing and anticipation as a field general causes concern for his NFL transition. At Tennessee, Milton was almost entirely reliant on one-read throws, with very few pure drop-backs and progressions baked in.

Even on one-read throws, Milton experienced startling delays between recognition and trigger at times, and his inability to adapt off of schemed targets also created turnover opportunities for opposing defenses.

As a late-round developmental QB option, Milton’s physical talent does produce intrigue — but as a 24-year-old rookie, he’s shown very little as a processor and independent decision-maker. In the NFL, QBs need to be adaptable, and Milton’s tape at Tennessee was the antithesis of that.

Ultimately, with his size and athleticism, a move to tight end could be feasible in the future. But it’s hard to imagine Milton won’t at least get a look as a developmental QB3 first, with the arm strength he possesses.”

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Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.