The New England Patriots took a flier on Joe Milton III when they drafted the gunslinger with a cannon of a right arm in the sixth round of April's NFL draft.
Milton might have been the last quarterback to take the field for New England in Thursday's preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers, but he quickly became one of the standout performers for the Patriots in their 17-3 win at Gillette Stadium.
Milton's performance, in which he completed 4-for-6 passes for 56 yards and a touchdown to go along with a highlight-reel run that featured him scrambling away from linemen before gaining 13 yards, even exceeded the expectations of first-year head coach Jerod Mayo.
"Honestly, I need to go back and watch the film. The easy answer would be Joe," Mayo told reporters, per team-provided video. "Joe went out there -- I don't think we've ever seen a quarterback here run around as much as he did and still was able to get the ball down the field. He's one of those guys. So, it was Joe."
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While Mayo dished out praise to Milton, it didn't mean the 24-year-old signal-caller would start shooting up the quarterback depth chart, like some sports pundits believe.
"We know he has a big arm. He has the athleticism. He’s getting better with his reads every single day. He has natural leadership ability," Mayo said. "But once again, it’s not just about one game, it's about the full body of work. You can come out here and play well but you also have to do it on a day-to-day basis, in practice and you've got to gain the confidence of not only the coaches but also your teammates. And this was a step forward for him."
Milton certainly outshone his fellow quarterbacks with Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye only getting one series each while Bailey Zappe didn't do a ton in his limited action besides for leading New England on one scoring drive.
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Milton came on with 4:01 left in the third quarter and immediately orchestrated an 11-play drive, which resulted in a 42-yard field goal from Joey Slye. The Tennessee product's next series was even better as it covered 75 yards in six plays with Milton capping the possession with a 38-yard touchdown pass to JaQuae Jackson, who used a beautiful double move to get open down field.
Mayo's compliment was passed along to Milton and while he was grateful for it, he didn't let it go to his head, either, as he competes for a roster spot.
"Hearing that from the head coach, thanks to him," Milton told reporters, per team-provided video. "But I feel like I've got a lot more work to do. There's a lot of things in the offense that I need to learn and I need to learn fast. Just being hard on myself. That's the only way I've got this far is being hard on myself."
Featured image via Eric Canha/USA TODAY Sports Images
