A look at Joe Milton's projected rookie contract value
Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton just heard his name called in the sixth round of the NFL Draft on Saturday afternoon. The New England Patriots selected Milton with the No.193 overall pick on Saturday. He joins running back Jaylen Wright as the second Vol picked in the draft.
Milton’s sixth round selection will earn him some money, as he is now projected to make $4, 204,437 with a guarantee of $184,437 as a signing bonus, according to Spotrac.com
Milton is the second quarterback the Patriots took in the draft, as he joins UNC signal-caller Drake Maye in the new era in Foxborough.
Joe Milton at Tennessee: 2,813 pass yards, 20 pass TDs, 5 INT, 505 yards rushing, 9 rush TDs
NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said recently that a combination of Milton’s age and still being a raw quarterback prospect at the next level was the reason he would be picked in the later rounds of the draft, if he was picked at all.
“So that’s kind of a tough combination to sell a little bit there,” Jeremiah said this week during a conference call with reporters previewing the NFL Draft.
The best-case scenario for Milton, according to Jeremiah at the time, was the later rounds on Saturday.
“I think he’s a late-round flyer,” Jeremiah said on the conference call. “(In) terms of trying to find a (team), I think you just want to go somewhere where they’ve got a good quarterback developer. But I think that will be pretty late in the draft.”
10 Tennessee players were picked in the first two NFL Drafts during the Josh Heupel era
Ten Tennessee football players were picked in the first two NFL Drafts during the Josh Heupel era, with five Vols picked both last year and in the 2022 draft.
Darnell Wright was the highest pick, with the offensive tackle going at No. 10 overall to the Chicago Bears last year. He was picked ahead of quarterback Hendon Hooker (third round, No. 68 overall, Detroit Lions), wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (third round, No. 73, New York Giants), wide receiver Cedric Tillman (third round, No. 74, Cleveland Browns) and edge rusher Byron Young (third round, No. 77, Los Angeles Rams).
Two years ago, defensive back Alontae Taylor was the highest Tennessee pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He was taken ahead of Velus Jones Jr. (third round, No. 71, Chicago Bears), defensive lineman Matthew Butler (fifth round, No. 175, Las Vegas Raiders), Cade Mays(sixth round, No. 199, Carolina Panthers) and defensive back Theo Jackson (sixth round, No. 204, Minnesota Vikings).
