Browns Rumors: Joe Milton Scheduled for Visit Ahead of 2024 NFL Draft

Andrew PetersApril 5, 2024

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The Cleveland Browns hosted Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton for a Top 30 visit this week, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Milton, who spent the 2023 season as the starter for the Vols, had 2,813 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions last season. Milton is an NFL-caliber player with size (6’5″) and speed—he had 299 rushing yards and seven touchdowns last year—but he will likely need to develop much more before he is a starter in the league.

Nevertheless, the Browns seem interested in one of the biggest arms in this year’s draft class.

Milton, who began his career at Michigan and finished it with Tennessee, didn’t get many reps as a starter. He saw some action as the Wolverines’ starter in 2020 before transferring to Tennessee in 2021. In his first season with the Vols, he started the year under center before suffering a concussion early in the season. When he was healthy again, Josh Heupel handed the reigns over to Hendon Hooker.

In the 2022 season, Hooker was the starter for most of the campaign, emerging as a Heisman candidate, but a torn ACL put him out for the final two games of the year and put Milton back under center.

While Milton has undeniable arm strength, he lacked consistency at times and had tendencies to both overthrow and underthrow receivers. It will likely be a while before he is starting in the NFL, but with the right development, he could be a productive quarterback.

For a team like the Browns, who already have an established starter in Deshaun Watson, taking Milton with a later draft pick could be a good move. It would give the team additional depth at the position and the opportunity to help Milton improve to potentially become a solid backup.