23d ago football Edit

NFL Draft: Tennessee QB Joe Milton III taken by the Patriots in sixth round

Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III (7) before Tennessee's Homecoming game against UT-Martin at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022. (Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK)

Noah Taylor • VolReport

Managing Editor

Noah is a graduate of the UT College of Journalism & Electronic Media and has covered Tennessee football since 2019. He joined Rivals in 2022.

Joe Milton is off the board.

The former Tennessee quarterback was selected by the New England Patriots as the 193rd overall pick in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Saturday, becoming the second Vols' quarterback taken in as many drafts.

Milton is the second Tennessee player taken in the final three rounds of the draft, joining teammate Jaylen Wright, who was picked up by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round earlier Saturday.

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A four-star prospect from Orlando, Florida in the 2018 class, Milton began his career at Michigan. He played in 14 games over three seasons, including five starts as a redshirt-sophomore in 2020.

Milton transferred to Tennessee ahead of the 2021 season and started the first three games before being replaced by Hendon Hooker.

Milton opted to remain with the Vols despite being a backup for nearly two years, starting the last two games of the 2022 season after a season-ending injury to Hooker and he entered the 2023 season as Tennessee's unquestioned leader at the position, starting 12 regular season games.

Among Milton's top performances was going 19-of-28 passing for 251 yards and three touchdowns in the Vols' 31-14 win over Clemson in the Orange Bowl. He totaled 2,813 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions as a sixth-year senior.

In his final game at Tennessee, Milton completed 22 passes for 383 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for two more scores in a 48-24 rout of Vanderbilt at Neyland Stadium.

The 6-foot-5, 235-pound Milton participated in the Reese's Senior Bowl in February and was one of three Tennessee players invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last month.

At Tennessee's annual Pro Day, Milton was the headliner, flashing his big arm with a number of downfield completions in front of representatives from all 32 teams. Now he'll try to showcase that arm talent in the NFL with the Patriots, who are coached by former Vols' linebacker Jerod Mayo.

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