Anthony Miller Scouting Report

Photo from Mark Weber, The Commercial Appeal

Written by Christian Lysek

Memphis WR Anthony Miller Scouting Report:

Anthony Miller has defied the odds to get where he is at today. An undersized and unranked receiver out of high school, Miller walked onto Memphis’ football team and became the best receiver in team history. Now, Miller is on his way to being drafted, and he should be a high selection. Here’s why:

Measurables: 5’11-1/8’’, 201 lbs, 31-5/8’’ arms, 10’’ hands

Year (Age): Five Year Senior (23)

Career stats by year: 

						Receiving				Rushing				Scrimmage
Year	School	Conf	Class	Pos	G	Rec	Yds	Avg	TD	Att	Yds	Avg	TD	Plays	Yds	Avg	TD
*2015	Memphis	American	SO	WR	12	47	694	14.8	5	9	54	6.0	2	56	748	13.4	7
*2016	Memphis	American	JR	WR	13	95	1434	15.1	14	12	69	5.8	1	107	1503	14.0	15
*2017	Memphis	American	SR	WR	13	96	1462	15.2	18	10	25	2.5	0	106	1487	14.0	18
Career	Memphis					238	3590	15.1	37	31	148	4.8	3	269	3738	13.9	40

	Punt Ret				Kick Ret
Year	School	Conf	Class	Pos	G	Ret	Yds	Avg	TD	Ret	Yds	Avg	TD
*2015	Memphis	American	SO	WR	12	3	28	9.3	0	4	105	26.3	0
*2016	Memphis	American	JR	WR	13	15	97	6.5	0	0	0		0
*2017	Memphis	American	SR	WR	13	2	11	5.5	0	2	31	15.5	0
Career	Memphis					20	136	6.8	0	6	136	22.7	0

Drop Rate: 4.9%

Combine: 

Bench Press: 20 reps

Tape Evaluation:

Strengths: Anthony Miller is a game changer for an offense. An ideal slot receiver, Miller is lightning quick as a route runner, showcasing the ability to stop and start in an instant when trying to create separation from corners. That quickness also applies to his ability to create yards after the catch, as he makes cuts on a dime and leaves defenders in the dust. Miller is also fast on film, as he creates good separation running deep and when running with the ball in his hands. Despite his size, Miller checks the strength box as well. He is a tough and willing blocker, he runs through strong through contact, and he can wrestle balls away from bigger corners. That last point is what separates Miller from other slot receivers in this draft class: he plays very well above the rim and in contested catch situations. He doesn’t have an amazing vert, but he is highly skilled at positioning his body in the right place to make a catch and has strong enough mitts to do so. He has the complete skillset at wide receiver and is polished enough to be a day one starter. Miller can also contribute in the return game, but he isn’t anything special there.

Weaknesses: Miller lacks size, which will limit his usage on the outside. He has the skill set to play there, but I’m not sure how he would fair against Richard Sherman, Jalen Ramsey, and other big bodied corners. Miller suffers from a concerning amount of concentration drops on easy passes like screens. This can be coached up, however. Miller also has fought injuries over the years, including his shoulder and foot. Miller is also an older prospect at 24. 

Pro Comparison: Julian Edelman

Julian Edelman is the perfect slot receiver. He has good hands, makes ridiculously tough catches, picks up valuable YAC, and runs great routes. Miller’s toughness and skillset remind me a lot of Edelman, even though he isn’t quite the special teamer Edelman is. 

 Teams that Fit: The Panthers need wide receivers like fish need water, so adding a weapon like Anthony Miller to play alongside Devin Funchess should be a priority. The Falcons need a slot receiver to replace Taylor Gabriel with, and Miller would be a slam dunk choice. The Titans should also consider drafting Anthony Miller, as he would make a great fit alongside Corey Davis and Rishard Matthews.

Where he should go: Top 50 picks

Where he (probably) will go: 2^nd Round

Conclusion:

Anthony Miller has size, age, and injury concerns, but he is such a well-rounded player who constantly stands out that I cannot help but rise him up my board. He is worth every bit of a top-50 selection.

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Combine Results courtesy of MockDraftable.com, Drop Percentage courtesy of Pro Football Focus, Career Statistics courtesy of sports-reference.com/cfb, Date of Birth courtesy of Scout Hub