Browns Set to Meet With ‘Physical Specimen’ QB Joe Milton

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Kevin Stefanski and the Browns are set to meet with QB Joe Milton ahead of the draft.

The Cleveland Browns are considering bolstering their already packed quarterback roster by targeting draft prospect Joe Milton.

Milton isn’t one of the more highly-touted quarterback prospects. However, the former Tennessee and Michigan quarterback boasts some impressive athletic talent. Milton had his pro day on Wednesday, March 27, and showed off his elite arm strength and physical skills. He ran a 4.55 40-yard dash at 245 pounds.

Milton told Jordan Reid of ESPN that he plans to meet with the Browns early next week. It’s an interesting meeting for Cleveland, which already has Deshaun Watson, Jameis Winston, Tyler Huntley, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson under contract. The Browns selected Thompson-Robinson in the fifth round last year.

But perhaps Milton’s raw athletic ability has Cleveland’s attention. Not to mention, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam attended Tennessee.

Milton passed for 2,831 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions last season at Tennessee, completing 64.7 percent of his passes. He added 299 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns on the ground.

Joe Milton Lacks Consistency to Excel at NFL Level

Getty ImagesJoe Milton is expected to be a Day 3 pick in the NFL Draft.

Milton’s physical tools are impressive. There’s never been a doubt about that. But he isn’t a refined quarterback, lacking some of the ingredients that would put him among the top-tier prospects. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein broke down Milton’s draft profile.

“Rare physical specimen with the proverbial ‘arm talent to make all the NFL throws,’ but he’s prevented from doing so by a lack of timing, accuracy and touch,” Zierlein wrote. “Milton is gifted with a cannon for a right arm and can throw the ball as hard or as far as you want. His fastballs are often inaccurate and difficult to catch for moving targets, and he was wildly inconsistent locating his deep throws. He can elude pressure, extend plays and put jaw-dropping highlights on tape, but he’s never been able to mature his game from splashy to consistent. He’s primarily a single-side reader who struggles to improvise with his eyes. The physical ingredients could get him drafted on Day 3, but his lack of development over six seasons discourages his projection.”

Milton registered a 5.80 prospect grade on NFL.com, which projects him to be an average backup. ESPN NFL draft analyst Matt Miller has the New York Jets taking a shot on Milton in the seventh round of the NFL Draft in April.

Browns Confident in Deshaun Watson

The Browns’ success next season is heavily linked to Watson. So far, the investment in the former Pro Bowl QB hasn’t paid off for Cleveland. The Browns traded a trio of first-round picks for Watson in 2022 and also handed him a five-year, $230 million contract. He’s appeared in just 12 games since the trade due to a suspension and injuries. Watson is currently rehabbing from season-ending shoulder surgery and recently started throwing.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski met with Watson in Los Angeles in mid-March. The reigning Coach of the Year is pleased with his quarterback’s progress.

“It was great. Ken [Dorsey] and I flew out there, spent 24 hours in L.A., went out to dinner with Deshaun. He’s in a great place physically, it’s beautiful out there, but he’s doing a great job with his rehab,” Stefanski said, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “So really it was more of a me checking in, catching up with him and then starting to develop a relationship with Ken, which was really the most important part.”

Dorsey was hired this offseason to be the Browns offensive coordinator, taking the place of Alex Van Pelt. Watson has expressed excitement over the hiring.

J.R. DeGroote covers the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Lakers for Heavy.com. He covered local and statewide sports as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and has decades of experience in digital media with previous stops at SB Nation and Bleacher Report. He has won multiple state, regional and national honors for sports reporting and photography. More about J.R. DeGroote