Joe Milton III DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

New England Patriots quarterback Joe Milton III made a good enough impression in his NFL debut in the Week 18 victory against the Buffalo Bills backups that he could become a trade chip this offseason. "I thought the Patriots would hold off on entertaining a trade of Joe Milton, who was drafted in the sixth round (193rd overall) last year, for at least another season, but there's increasing belief around the NFL that the Patriots are at least contemplating a trade of Milton this offseason," Boston Sports Journal's Greg Bedard wrote. This year's QB draft class is considered weak, and the Pats could fetch up to a third-round pick for Milton this year if QB-needy teams don't feel like taking their chances on QB prospects like Riley Leonard, Dillon Gabriel or Jaxson Dart. If New England doesn't shop Milton before the draft in April, they could revisit and look to trade him this summer.

New England Patriots quarterback Joe Milton III completed 22 of his 29 pass attempts for 241 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's Week 18 win over the Buffalo Bills. He also rushed 10 times for 16 yards and an additional touchdown on the ground. Milton didn't take a sack or throw an interception in the victory, but he did lose a fumble on a botched hand-off with Antonio Gibson. The Patriots needed a loss to secure the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, and in order to get some extra film on Milton, they benched Drake Maye after the opening drive. Milton performed better than anyone could have imagined, completing each of his first 11 pass attempts. He totaled two touchdowns and showed phenomenal mobility. The win dropped New England from No. 1 to No. 4 in the draft order, but that's arguably a fair price to pay in exchange for the assurance that New England has two talented, young playmakers in its quarterback room entering 2025. Maye will remain the starter while Milton is likely headed for the backup role.

New England Patriots quarterback Joe Milton III completed just five of his 17 pass attempts for 78 yards through the air during Sunday's preseason finale against the Washington Commanders. He finished the game with zero touchdowns and zero interceptions. Although Milton's stats were far from promising, he should still hold on to the third-string quarterback role given that his main competition, Bailey Zappe, didn't enter until the final drive Sunday. As long as Jacoby Brissett (shoulder) and Drake Maye are active on gameday, Milton will ride the bench as the emergency third-string quarterback during his rookie campaign.