Brian Daboll got the job as head coach of the New York Giants because of his role in the development of Buffalo Bills Pro Bowl quarterback Josh Allen, and he could have the same influence on Alabama’s dual-threat signal-caller Jalen Milroe.
The Giants have been named the “best landing spot” for Milroe by Ian Valentino of The 33rd Team. He thinks Milroe could “become a star in the future if Brian Daboll is still in New York.”
Daboll would be very lucky to keep his job after a second-straight losing season. He hasn’t developed a quarterback during three years at the helm, but that could change if the Giants selected Milroe in the 2025 NFL draft.
That’s because Milroe is “like early Josh Allen,” according to ESPN’s Matt Miller. He explained to the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy how “You see where he’s going with the ball and it’s like, ‘OK, that’s a good decision.’ But then it’s 10 yards over the guy’s head. It might be bad at times because he needs his mechanics reworked, but amazing at times because he’s a playmaker.”
This isn’t the first time Milroe has been liked with the Giants because of Daboll. Honing Milroe’s talents into another Allen-level playmaker would justify the Giants apparent and surprising intention to retain Daboll beyond this season.
Giants Can Reach for Jalen Milroe
As Valentino pointed out, going fourth overall in the first round “is way too high for the version of Jalen Milroe we saw for most of 2024.” Yet as Valentino also noted, Milroe’s “deep passing and mobility can be the foundation of a tremendous skill set.”
The dichotomy between Milroe’s core physical gifts and his on-field production showed up repeatedly during his final campaign at Tuscaloosa. Tallies of 2,844 yards and 16 touchdowns through the air are modest, while 11 interceptions are too high.
Those less than gaudy totals contrast with Milroe’s 726 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground, per Sports Reference. As impressive as those figures are, plays like these highlighted by Sports Illustrated’s Clint Goss, showcase Milroe’s true upside.
Milroe is less about statistics and more about how his elite athleticism and ability to play off-script can transform a mundane pro offense. To put it more aptly, Dunleavy quoted an unnamed QBs coach who made clear, “I can teach footwork. Decision-making under pressure is more difficult. And you can’t teach 4.3 [second] speed.”
The gaps in Milroe’s game will be put under close examination after he accepted an invitation to the Reese’s Senior Bowl. As ESPN’s Field Yates described, Milroe “has a lot of unique’ uncoachable traits – and he has a lot of areas where he needs to improve to succeed in the NFL. Both things can be true. The @seniorbowl is a great platform to showcase his skillset.”
Providing structure for the unteachable is how a good coach earns his crust. Daboll has done precious little of that after serving as Allen’s offensive coordinator in Buffalo, before failing to refine Daniel Jones into a legitimate QB1 for the Giants.
Getting it right with Milroe would be Daboll’s last chance to justify his job and reputation. Fortunately, Milroe can offer Daboll an opportunity to change the Giants blueprint at football’s most important position for the better.
Giants Need to Alter Blueprint at QB
Beating the Indianapolis Colts in Week 17 saw the Giants relinquish possession of the No. 1 pick. The decision not to tank has Big Blue sat fourth, but Dunleavy reported “If they beat the Eagles’ backups (starters are resting for the playoffs), the Giants could slip as low as No. 9.”
Potentially being out of range of prospective top picks Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders means the Giants need a new plan. One based on prizing ample experience, preferably against high-level competition, above all else.
Milroe ticks both boxes thanks to four years with the Crimson Tide. He started every game during his final two seasons.
Playing in the SEC pitted Milroe against some of the nation’s best college teams. It’s also a factor that should appeal to Giants co-owner John Mara.
The man set to decide Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen’s fates deemed playing in the SEC “one of the key tiebreakers once upon a time when drafting Eli Manning over Ben Roethlisberger,” according to Dunleavy.
Using the same criteria this year can lead the Giants to a quarterback with intriguing underlying traits. Things that could salvage Daboll’s reign.
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Giants ‘Best Landing Spot’ for SEC QB Who’s ‘Like Early Josh Allen’