NFL Coach Says 'There's No Reason' Jalen Milroe 'Can't Be Jalen Hurts' Amid Draft Buzz

The common comparison for Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe during the pre-draft process has been that he's a less-polished version of Jalen Hurts. Let's add another one to the mix.

"For me, there's no reason Milroe can't be Hurts," an AFC coordinator told SI.com's Albert Breer. "In a bad quarterback class, big picture, he's the only guy who has a truly elite ability. I know how bad he looked at times throwing it, but he might be the best quarterback runner I've ever evaluated. He's a better runner than Lamar [Jackson] was in college."

Physically, the Hurts' comparison holds up. Both are around the same size and fall into the scrambler archetype at the position, alongside each playing for Alabama.

But as Breer noted, Hurts "improved in leaps and bounds as a pro, even ascending in areas (such as anticipatory throws) where guys generally don't get better," and did so with a "militaristic work ethic." He's also proven to be incredibly resilient throughout his football career and has the elite intangibles that played a big part in his ascension to becoming a Super Bowl-winning quarterback.

Whether Milroe has those same intangibles remains to be seen.

"Milroe is like a running back playing quarterback," an AFC quarterbacks coach told Breer. "He's robotic as a quarterback. He does amazing things with his legs, and he's a great kid, so he has a chance to get better just on his will alone. But he's more robotic than Hurts was coming out. [Anthony] Richardson would be a closer comp, to me, as a passer."

Richardson has struggled mightily in the NFL as a passer, with 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions across 15 games, completing just 50.6 percent of his passes. That's not a recipe for winning.

An NFC quarterbacks coach, meanwhile, said he didn't see Hurts so much as Colin Kaepernick, calling Milroe "stiff, he can't throw with his feet, he shot-puts the ball down the field."

The Alabama prospect will enter the NFL as a project, no doubt, and as a player who will need to have an offensive scheme built around him. His athletic profile gives him plenty of upside nonetheless.