Why Tennessee's Joe Milton is the Paul Bunyan of the NFL Draft | Toppmeyer

If the NFL was a tall tale, Joe Milton would be the protagonist. Milton could steal Paul Bunyan’s ax and use it as a toothpick.

I didn’t need to watch Milton at the NFL scouting combine to know the former Tennessee quarterback possesses a howitzer for a right arm, but the combine drills quantified it.

In a showcase of arm strength, Milton ripped a 62 mph pass into a padded wall.

You might be wondering, is 62 mph good?  Yes. Very good.

Neither Tom Brady nor Drew Brees had such arm strength. No one at the combine was clocked throwing the ball harder than Milton.

But how much should Milton’s velocity matter to NFL scouts? He’s not auditioning to throw against a padded wall. He’s trying out to conduct an NFL offense against the world's best defenders. The NFL isn’t a tall tale, and being a pro quarterback requires more than showing out in a skills competition.

Anyone who watched Milton during his college career knows the legend of how far he can throw a football − and knows of his struggle to find consistency. Coaches repeatedly fell in love with his arm strength. It explains why Jim Harbaugh started Milton at Michigan in 2020, and why Josh Heupel anointed Milton as UT’s starter in 2021 before realizing Hendon Hooker was a better quarterback equipped with a lesser arm.

If chicks dig the long ball, then coaches are suckers for quarterbacks who toss a 70-yard pass as easily as they flick an apple core into a waste bin. JaMarcus Russell earned acclaim for throwing a ball 70 yards from his knees. Neat parlor trick. Not particularly relevant to playing quarterback in the NFL.

No one questions Milton’s physical tools, but he spent six years in college trying to become a complete quarterback. At times, he pulled it all together. Tennessee’s win against Kentucky last season and its first half against Alabama come to mind. Overall, though, he was a mid-tier SEC quarterback playing within a quarterback-friendly system. He supplied a career-best season in 2023, a credit to his persistence, but I believe Tennessee’s best quarterback was its backup.

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Milton will be 24 years old on draft day, and still questions linger. Does Milton have the poise, the field awareness, the touch, the vision? Does he have the accuracy he’ll need in the NFL?

Milton joins a crowded draft class that includes Caleb Williams (Southern Cal), Drake Maye (North Carolina), Jayden Daniels (LSU), Bo Nix (Oregon), Michael Penix Jr. (Washington), J.J. McCarthy (Michigan), Spencer Rattler (South Carolina) and other pro-caliber prospects.

Milton is projected to be a mid- or late-round selection.

I don't doubt that Milton could wrestle an alligator into submission, but, as an NFL prospect, he lacks polish.

SEC football quarterback competitions

Normally at this stage in the calendar, I'd highlight interesting SEC quarterback competitions, but I’m struggling to do that with a straight face. There just aren’t many interesting competitions. Top programs like Georgia, Texas, Ole Miss and Missouri return their starters. Auburn, Florida and Texas A&M likely will continue with incumbents.

Kentucky, Arkansas and Mississippi State signed transfers to grab the reins, while Tennessee, Oklahoma, LSU and others identified an heir from within.

Here's two competitions to monitor:

Vanderbilt must decide between New Mexico State transfer Diego Pavia and Utah transfer Nate Johnson.

At Alabama, Jalen Milroe must hold off returning backups Ty Simpson and Dylan Lonergan, plus Austin Mack, a transfer who was Washington’s backup.

Predictions: Vanderbilt will finish last in the SEC no matter who starts at quarterback, and Milroe will remain the beacon of Alabama's offense.

Email of the week

Randall writes: What do you think about the comments (Steve) Spurrier made about (Billy) Napier? I think he should have went ahead and said quite a few more things.

For context: In an interview with Florida Times-Union columnist Gene Frenette, Spurrier roasted Napier, almost as if Napier was Ray Goof – or Goff, excuse me. Spurrier’s most biting quote: “There’s a feeling around the Gators of, ‘What the heck are we doing?’”

My response: The Head Ball Coach became the quip master not just for his wit, but because his barbs carry an element of truth. He’s spot-on in asking, what the heck is going on at Florida? If Spurrier paints Florida’s coach as a fired-coach walking, then he’s a fired-coach walking. I have a hard time seeing Napier surviving this season.

Three and out

1. Bizarre take of the week: ESPN’s Mike Tannenbaum, a former NFL GM, said of Michigan’s McCarthy: “He can make all the throws, and what’s really interesting to me is, if he had played for LSU, what would his stats look like?” Allow me: McCarthy’s LSU stats wouldn’t have looked as good as Daniels’ stats. McCarthy doesn’t run like Daniels. He doesn’t throw as good of a deep ball, either.

2. Another quote-to-note from Spurrier: “How many Gators growing up would think we’d lose our best running back to Georgia?” Ouch. Spurrier’s on the mark here, too. Georgia plundering Florida's Trevor Etienne is one of the most underrated offseason transfer acquisitions.

3. Alabama's Kalen DeBoer said his No. 1 maxim is: “Winners win, because that’s what winners do.” Look out, Aristotle!

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's SEC Columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.

The "Topp Rope" is his SEC football column published throughout the USA TODAY Network. If you enjoy Blake’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it. Also, check out his podcast, SEC Football Unfiltered, or access exclusive columns via the SEC Unfiltered newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: NFL Draft: Why Joe Milton trails Drake Maye, Caleb Williams, Bo Nix