Jalen Milroe 40 time: How Alabama QB's speed compares to Lamar Jackson, other NFL quarterbacks

Dan Treacy

•
Jalen Milroe 40 time: How Alabama QB's speed compares to Lamar Jackson, other NFL quarterbacks image

To many, Alabama QB Jalen Milroe simply didn't look the part in his final season with the Crimson Tide.

The redshirt junior only threw 16 touchdowns in addition to 11 interceptions while Alabama lost four games for the first time since 2007. Something, however, kept Milroe squarely on NFL radars: his blazing speed. 

While Milroe's hopes of emerging as a top-tier quarterback in the 2025 draft class weren't realized, he is considered by many evaluators to be part of the next tier behind Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, largely because of his athleticism.

📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp

Here's a look at Milroe's 40-yard dash time and how it compares to some of the NFL's other speedy quarterbacks. 

Jalen Milroe 40 time

Alabama reported Milroe's 40 time as 4.37 seconds from his pro day, but Sports Illustrated reported most scouts timed Milroe's time at either 4.44 or 4.45 seconds. That was faster than his first run, which was between 4.48 and 4.51 seconds.

While the discrepancy is the unfortunate result of Milroe not running the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, a choice most quarterback prospects made as well, a 4.44-second 40 time is still remarkably fast for the position. 

Only seven of 24 running backs who ran the 40-yard dash at the combine ran it faster than 4.44 seconds, and less than half of wide receivers who participated in the drill can say the same. 

Milroe rushed for a career-high 726 yards and 20 touchdowns in his final season at Alabama, which makes his passing touchdown total a bit deceiving. Milroe accounted for 36 total touchdowns, and that's bound to get the attention of NFL scouts.

Here's a closer look at how Milroe's 40 time compares to some of the NFL's dual-threat quarterbacks.

MORE 2025 NFL DRAFT: SN's 7-round mock | Top 250 big board | Expert mock draft roundup

Jalen Milroe 40 time vs. Lamar Jackson

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson ran an unofficial 4.34 40-yard dash at Louisville's "speed day" in 2017. He did not run the 40-yard dash at either the NFL Combine or his pro day.

That estimation likely has to be taken with a grain of salt, knowing Alabama was less than truthful about Milroe's 40 time, but Jackson rushed for more than 1,500 yards and 18 touchdowns in two different seasons at Louisville. It's hard to do that without having blazing speed, and Jackson certainly has it. 

NFL teams aren't looking for Milroe to be the next Jackson — if they were, he would be in the conversation for the No. 1 pick — but like Jackson, interested teams are banking on getting Milroe's arm to the point that he can be a legitimate starting option knowing his athleticism is already off the charts. 

MORE NFL DRAFT:

Jalen Milroe 40 time vs. Anthony Richardson

Colts QB Anthony Richardson decided to show off his speed at the combine in 2023 and ran an official 4.43 40-yard dash. That's only slightly ahead of Milroe if the Alabama QB's time was indeed 4.44.

Richardson is taller than Milroe, which was part of his appeal entering the NFL. Not only was he fast, but he had the build of a Josh Allen-type who could muscle his way through defenders if necessary. Milroe isn't short, but at 6-foot-2, he's not a carbon copy of Richardson, whose ridiculous arm strength also intrigued teams. 

Jalen Milroe 40 time vs. Justin Fields

Justin Fields clocked in at 4.44 seconds in the 40-yard dash at his pro day in 2021, meaning Milroe just about matched the now-Jets QB's time. 

Fields only rushed for 1,133 yards and 19 touchdowns in three collegiate seasons (two as a starter), so he didn't post the gaudy numbers Jackson or even Milroe did at times, but he still used his speed to his advantage at Ohio State and became a weapon on the ground for the Bears during his three seasons in Chicago.

Fields also serves as a cautionary tale about drafting a quarterback whose athleticism is his best trait. While there is still time to turn it around, Fields has yet to cement himself as a long-term starter because of his limitations as a passer. 

MORE NFL:

Dan Treacy

Dan Treacy is a content producer for Sporting News, joining in 2022 after graduating from Boston University. He founded @allsportsnews on Instagram in 2012 and has written for Lineups and Yardbarker.