JM #10

Joe Milton III

Quarterback · Tennessee

A cannon-armed backup with rare physical tools who is fighting to prove he belongs behind center in Dallas.

Joe Milton III has one of the biggest arms in football, a trait that got him drafted despite an unconventional college path through both Michigan and Tennessee. After a rookie year buried on New England's depth chart, Milton was traded to Dallas, where he is competing for snaps as Dak Prescott's backup.

★ Threw for 2,813 yards and 20 touchdowns in his final season at Tennessee

★ Won his first career NFL start, a Week 18 victory over Buffalo in 2024

Path to the league

Milton spent his first three college seasons at Michigan before transferring to Tennessee, where he started in 2022 and 2023 and completed 64.7 percent of his passes for 2,813 yards and 20 touchdowns in his final season. The New England Patriots took him in the sixth round of the 2024 draft, 193rd overall, pairing him with third overall pick Drake Maye in a rare double dip at the position.

Career highlights

Milton's calling card is his arm strength, one of the strongest in recent draft memory, paired with solid accuracy on shorter throws. He made his first career start in Week 18 of the 2024 season against Buffalo, completing 22 of 29 passes for 241 yards and a passing touchdown while adding a rushing score in a 23-16 Patriots win.

2025 season recap

New England traded Milton to Dallas along with a seventh-round pick in exchange for a fifth-round selection, and the Cowboys brought him in as an upgrade at backup quarterback after Cooper Rush left in free agency. He spent the 2025 season competing for and holding the QB2 job behind Dak Prescott, giving Dallas a big-armed insurance policy behind its starter.