Not many players drew more buzz leading up to training camp than quarterback Joe Milton, whom the Dallas Cowboys acquired in a trade with the Patriots in March. Though comparable to the failed Trey Lance experiment, Milton is light years ahead of where Lance was at this point last year.
That doesn't mean Milton will succeed in Dallas, but he's shown flashes over the first handful of practices that make you understand why the front office made the move.
While Milton isn't taking Dak Prescott's job anytime soon, head coach Brian Schottenheimer may have accidentally revealed the 25-year-old's role for this season (other than backing up Prescott): the wildcat quarterback.
Joe Milton is an obvious choice for the Cowboys' wildcat QB
"We're gonna be multiple. We're gonna be under center. We're gonna be in shotgun. We're gonna run the pistol. We're gonna run some wildcat. We're gonna be very difficult to defend," Schottenheimer said, via Clarence Hill of All-City DLLS.
As fun as it is to daydream about CeeDee Lamb or KaVontae Turpin taking snaps from the wildcat, Milton has the perfect build and athleticism for it. While Lamb is as dynamic as any player in football, do the Cowboys really want to subject him to more hits? He's going to get plenty of touches in the offense.
Read more: It took one throw for Cowboys QB Joe Milton to steal the training camp spotlight
In terms of the quarterback position, Milton ranked at or above the 85th percentile in height, weight, vertical jump and broad jump before the 2024 NFL Draft. He is a better scrambler than outright sprinter, but he still clocked an impressive 4.56 40-yard dash at his Tennessee pro day. That is tied for the fifth-best time among quarterbacks in the last three years.
Milton could develop into a franchise QB over time, but he is comfortably the Cowboys' best candidate to run the wildcat. You wouldn't know it because he rarely used his legs in college. In 2023 at Tennessee, he carried 78 times for 299 yards and seven touchdowns. That was by far his most productive rushing season.
The Cowboys were putrid in goal-line situations last season. They accumulated just six (!) rushing scores all year (two from Rico Dowdle, three from Ezekiel Elliott and one from Prescott). That is one area Schottenheimer could unleash the wildcat.
Regardless, it would be stunning if Milton isn't on the field in those situations, provided he handles the role well in training camp.