Seattle Seahawks third-round quarterback Jalen Milroe entered the NFL with an enticing athletic profile but lingering questions about his accuracy as a passer. It's something the rookie is already out to correct.
During the Seahawks' rookie minicamp over the weekend, Milroe said he's been focusing on his lower-body mechanics with personal QB trainer Jordan Palmer -- the brother of Carson Palmer who has worked with the likes of Josh Allen, Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes in the past.
"The biggest thing is everything works from the ground up at the quarterback position," Milroe said, per SeattleSports.com. "It's understanding the lower-half mechanics of how I operate. Every quarterback is different, and so ... it's understanding how to distribute my body when it comes to the lower-half mechanics. That's been a focus for us.
"It's all about being an efficient passer. And so the more you work, the more you understand your body, you're going to be more of an efficient passer. So that's something that we continue to work on."
As every signal-caller will tell you, the lower half is key to throwing an accurate football.
In his final season at Alabama, Milroe completed 64.3 percent of his passes for 2,844 yards with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions -- that ratio sank to five TDs and 10 INTs in eight SEC games.
Improving his mechanics is step one in becoming a more efficient passer as he develops behind Sam Darnold and, for now, Drew Lock.
Milroe said he will be using a virtual reality headset throughout the offseason to work on his progressions and working from the pocket. Reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels famously credited his VR practice with preparing him to jump right into the deep end during his first season.
"My new head coach (Mike Macdonald), we talked about doing that," Milroe said of using VR. "And so from now until game one, I'm going to utilize that."
Milroe was the focus during rookie minicamp, but when the rest of the roster hits the field together for OTAs and mandatory minicamp in June, it will be notable how many reps the rookie gets. Darnold and Lock are also learning a new offense, so snaps will be key for all. The number of reps Milroe earns will indicate the club's ultimate plan in 2025. The fewer the snaps in practice, the more important his work outside the structure will be as he develops his career.
