There are hundreds of stories and opinions shared during the planning and anticipation stages of the 2018 NFL Draft. As a former high school football coach and educator by trade, one of my passions include providing film-based reviews on rookie prospects and focusing on their strengths and weakness which may assist other fantasy football enthusiasts in their evaluations.

After reviewing four of his games, here’s my scouting report on Memphis Tigers wide receiver Anthony Miller:

[Note: These game videos are available via YouTube and Draft Breakdown]

WR Anthony Miller, Memphis
5’11” | 190 lbs.

Games Studied: Iowa State, UCLA, UCF, UConn

Cons: Anthony Miller will turn 24 years old in October after a five-year college career at Memphis as a result of a being redshirted his freshman season and a missing his second year due to injury. His body’s maturity could have helped him dominate over younger players, but it will not be a factor at the next level. Another concern I had with Miller was how he adds a lot of extra moves onto his routes. While he is quite good at head bobs and body fakes as a receiver, Miller can focus too much on them at times, especially on the shorter routes. Extra movement and lapses in concentration on routes could cause an NFL quarterback to lose some faith in the playmaker. Miller not having his quarterback’s trust would directly affect his PPR value; more targets result in more production. Miller also needs to do a better job at sinking his hips with the pigskin in his hands because he seems to take a lot of unnecessary contact when attempting to break tackles. By giving defenses less area to hit, Miller’s body might not take so much punishment.

Now, the biggest question surrounding Miller is how healthy is he now? He suffered a Jones fracture in his last college game, forcing him to miss the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine. The wideout participated in his Memphis Pro Day and ran a 4.48 40-yard dash which would equal a 4.53 computer-timed Combine result. I thought Miller looked a little faster on film, so he may yet still be getting himself back to full strength. His less than impressive 40-yard dash time might already prove that he is quicker than fast in regards to his play speed. Lastly, this prospect needs to take better care of the ball after logging six fumbles on 142 receptions.

Pros: The senior Memphis captain Miller has an explosive lower body that helped him secure state high school championships as a hurdler and long jumper. Accelerating quickly from a dead stop and then jumping over fallen defenders is something the former Tiger appears to enjoy doing in the open field. With loose hips to change directions quickly, and quick, choppy steps, Miller is difficult to corral. He is also quite dangerous on deeper routes as he creates separation early, tracks the ball well in the air, and snares the pigskin at its highest point, all without ever breaking stride. The former Memphis Tiger has a large catch radius that allows him to either sky above defenders or dig down low to grab those worm burners.

Miller is very adept at using the sidelines to his benefit, controlling his body and always knowing where he is on the field. He lined up equally on the inside and outside, using his quickness to get off the line of scrimmage. Miller is a willing blocker but was not asked to do it a lot. He has strong, powerful legs and the determination to help him fight for every available yard. In the open field, Miller has the look of a slalom skier, weaving down a mountain to avoid the flags (defenders). Traits like his make him quite dangerous on short screens, reverses, kickoffs, and punt returns. Lastly, Miller’s extra special team usage could make him a bigger value both in NFL and fantasy circles.

Overall impressions: Sure, at 24 years old, Miller is a bit old to be starting his NFL career, and he runs longer routes with more concentration and zeal than shorter ones. The thing is, the former Tiger is an exciting playmaker when the ball is in his hands and can beat a defense many ways. He can take a short pass and turn it into a long touchdown or stretch the field and prove his worth as an explosive deep threat. This kind of hybrid functionality locks Miller in as a top-five rookie wide receiver in my rankings.

Thanks for reading. I will continue to generate and discuss 2018 rookie scouting reports with you leading up to the NFL Draft, so be sure to keep an eye on DTC for all of the new content. You can also follow me on Twitter @AndrewMiley.