RENTON, Wash. — The Seattle Seahawks’ rookie minicamp practice Friday afternoon was like the first day of school for third-round rookie quarterback Jalen Milroe and 70 other players, a mix of draftees, rookie free-agent signees, tryout participants and a couple of second-year pros.
For Milroe, arguably the most compelling player of the Seahawks’ 11-man NFL Draft class because of the nature of his position, wearing that No. 6 Seahawks jersey and taking the field were a “dream come true.”
“It was a great feeling,” Milroe, the No. 92 pick, said after practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center. “When I walked on the field, I really just acknowledged where I was at. My parents made a joke: ‘It’s like your first day of class today.’ It’s definitely cool to be an NFL quarterback, get my feet wet, get acclimated with everything.”
A two-year starter at Alabama, Milroe is only the third quarterback selected by Seattle in 16 drafts led by general manager John Schneider. Russell Wilson in 2012 and Alex McGough in 2018 are the others. Milroe joins quarterbacks Sam Darnold, a $100 million QB1 who has yet to take a snap for the Seahawks in a game, and veteran Drew Lock, who’s making his return to Seattle as a backup after one year with the New York Giants. Jaren Hall was released Tuesday.
6️⃣ pic.twitter.com/FIGIMISS6N
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) May 3, 2025
Because it’s rare for Seattle to have a draftee at the position, our rundown of Day 1 of minicamp will focus on Milroe. A more wide-ranging review of the camp will come after the second and final day of practice Saturday, after which coach Mike Macdonald will hold a news conference.
Milroe was drafted on April 25 and celebrated immediately afterward. The next day, he received Seattle’s playbook, and he has been studying every day since. His early impression of the scheme? Preparation is paramount.
“You’ve got to know it like the back of your hand,” Milroe said. “You’ve got to get extra time in with the coaches. One thing that’s for certain: The meeting time is not enough for grasping the offense. You’ve got to take extra time aside when you’re not around the coaches, whether you’re with your teammates, whether you’re at home.
“Always (take) time to grow and learn the system because when you know the system, when you have great preparation, you play even better. And it (rubs) off on other guys.”
Milroe was a dynamic rusher in college who scored 20 times on the ground last season. Twelve of those rushing scores were at least 10 yards or more, the most by a quarterback in 25 years. One thing that immediately stood out Friday was the fact his reps didn’t feature any designed runs. That’s normal, of course, but it also puts the focus on Milroe’s ability to throw, which is the part of his game that must grow the most to be a starting quarterback in the NFL.
Milroe and former Washington Huskies quarterback Will Rogers (the only other passer here) spent the afternoon operating a traditional NFL offense: calling plays in the huddle, hollering cadences at the line of scrimmage and taking under-center dropbacks with and without play action as well as reps with multiple reads in the progression that require throwing on time and in rhythm. The throwing elements of Milroe’s game are still raw, but based on the first practice, it’s evident he’s been working to improve.
For the last year and a half, Milroe has been training with Jordan Palmer, a highly regarded personal quarterbacks coach whose list of clients includes some of the top players in the game. Points of emphasis in those sessions, Milroe said, have been his lower body mechanics and weight distribution when throwing.
“With that, it’s all about being an efficient passer,” Milroe said. “The more you work, the more you understand your body, you’re going to be more of an efficient passer. That’s something we work on and (will) continue to work so I can be the best quarterback I can be.”
Milroe appeared to take most of the reps Friday, which is understandable given the investment in him and the fact Rogers is only here on a tryout basis. When Milroe joins the organized team activities with the veterans, he’ll share reps with Darnold and Lock. Macdonald said that although Darnold will take more than 90 percent of the snaps, Milroe has the opportunity to earn regular-season snaps as a rookie. It’s unclear whether that will come to fruition and how it would look on game day, but Macdonald seems set on taking advantage of Milroe’s talents in Year 1.
Rookie minicamp in full force. pic.twitter.com/hyvrnST4z1
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) May 3, 2025
But when asked his goals for the year and whether they include playing as a rookie, Milroe said his priorities are being the best version of himself, being a good teammate and earning everyone’s trust.
“With that comes other things, but that’s No. 1,” Milroe said. “Any guy that comes in — no matter where you’re selected, the first pick in the draft to Mr. Irrelevant, it doesn’t matter — you’re trying to earn the respect and trust of everybody in the locker room and organization. With that comes being a good teammate as well. Being a good teammate to Sam Darnold, Drew Lock, everyone in the room, the coaches. Showing that I care, I’m studying. Other goals come with that, but the (heart) of everything is that.”
It’s obvious why a team like Seattle, which cares about the person it is drafting as much as the talent it is acquiring, fell in love with Milroe, a team captain and winner of the William V. Campbell Trophy (also known as the Academic Heisman). Milroe carries himself like a professional, his teammates speak highly of his work ethic, and it’s evident he’s coming to Seattle with the right mentality.
After Friday’s practice, Milroe talked about emphasizing to his teammates how much he loves football because it will positively impact the players in the huddle. Recapping the first day of practice, he noticed that although this was a job interview for many of the participants, everyone celebrated and congratulated one another after positive plays.
“Everyone was caring about each other because we’re trying to reach the same goal,” Milroe said. “No matter where you’re at on the depth chart, we’re all trying to be successful. That’s something I saw and was really happy about because we have a lot of good dudes that were on the football field today.”
When asked how he’ll spend all the free time he has now that he’s no longer in college, Milroe said schoolwork will be replaced by taking care of his body.
“When you take care of your body, you’re available on the football field,” Milroe said. “The time frame that I’m not preparing mentally with the playbook, with the guys in different rooms, I’m taking care of my body so that I can be available for the coaches, my teammates.”
On-field performance is the top priority when assessing whether a player can become a starting quarterback. But leadership responsibilities are attached to the position that are also important. It’s early, but Milroe’s reputation in college and approach to entering the NFL are positive signs.
Speaking of on-field performance, Milroe received a strong endorsement from tight end Elijah Arroyo, the No. 50 pick in the draft, who’s a big fan of the quarterback’s game.
“I love Jalen,” Arroyo said. “I love the way he plays. I feel like we’re going to have a good connection moving forward. The way he throws the ball, the way he moves, he has a chance to be an elite quarterback at the highest level.”
(Photo: Ryan Sun / Associated Press)