The Chicago Bears have arguably the biggest draft steal of 2018 in Anthony Miller
Whether the rest of the NFC North wants to admit it or not, the Chicago Bears are on the rise.
The team’s 2018 offseason has been nothing short of spectacular, with the offense picking up Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy as the head coach, going out and getting Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel and Trey Burton in free agency, and hauling it draft picks like Roquan Smith, James Daniels, and Anthony Miller. Combine a good offensive line with an explosive running game, and there’s a lot of options for sophomore quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.
A wide receiver out of Memphis, Anthony Miller was selected late in the 2nd round by the Bears with the 51st overall pick. Considering how lacking this year’s wide receiver class was, I’m surprised I didn’t hear Miller’s name as much as guys like Calvin Ridley and James Washington.
NDT Scouting analyst Jon Ledyard called Miller “perhaps the top receiver in a class that doesn’t include too many of them,” and that’s my take as well. In fact, I would go so far as to say Miller is one of the biggest if not the biggest draft steals from the 2018 class. For a team that already went out and got a borderline top ten receiver at full health in Allen Robinson, Miller gives the Bears another potential gem at receiver.
During his three seasons at Memphis, Miller put up 238 receptions for 3,590 yards and 37 touchdowns. In 2017, his senior season, he broke the school record for career receiving touchdowns and single season touchdowns (18). He was also a Consensus All-American that year, so he’s earned a lot based on his college career.
And Miller backs that up on his tape with an enticing skill set that should strike fear into the hearts of Vikings fans.
It didn’t take long for Miller to win me over when I first watched him. He’s not limited to any particular area of the field, as he dominated everywhere in college with a style that should translate naturally in the NFL.
The first thing that should be noted about Anthony Miller is how well he runs his routes. Miller’s hesitant, ankle breaking moves resemble some of today’s elite route runners, including Antonio Brown, Doug Baldwin and Keenan Allen. He doesn’t need a good offensive game-plan to be schemed open; He can do that himself.
This route is special. Miller is in full control of his speed on this slant route, and the distance he covers is quite extensive when it comes to shuffling the feet. He fakes out the defender, pushing off his left foot and catching his opponent off guard. His push off gives him a boost in acceleration that allows him to create plenty of separation.
Miller’s approach to the behind throw is worth mentioning as well, as he’s able to maintain proper balance while eluding a couple of defenders for tons of yards after the catch.
Miller can be especially dominant in the slot, giving him a Doug Baldwin or Keenan Allen vibe. His ability to start, stop and go resembles these two receivers, giving him a complete edge in red zone coverage and then some.
Generally, a receiver’s true potential is put to the test against contested catches in tight one-on-one matchups. Just like with quarterbacks against pressure, receivers play worse against contested catches, but how big or small of a drop off will determine their overall quality in this area.
Unfortunately for the Vikings, Miller is terrific in tight coverage. Despite his size (5’11, 191 lb.), he has an uncanny ability to overwhelm defensive backs with toughness, smooth ball control and security. As shown here, he’s able to do that and control the catch as he hits the ground.
But Miller’s ball skills go far beyond leaping for jump balls. In fact, he can adjust to inaccurate throws from seemingly any angle.
This is one of the greatest catches I’ve ever seen in college football. Miller’s wingspan, in addition to his aggressiveness in tighter coverage, gives him a large margin of error for whoever throws to him. This pass is thrown well wide of him, but Miller extends his right arm, grabs the ball and caresses it between his hand and his helmet. It bounces off his helmet initially, but Miller is able to concentrate and pull it in at the end for an amazing one-handed catch.
Upon close inspection, Miller got one foot down as well.
Now, in the NFL this would be overruled because of the two feet-inbounds rule, but it demonstrates the wide wingspan and ball skills Miller had in college and the potential this could have in Matt Nagy’s offense.
As you may realize, Miller is a playmaking threat downfield, but it doesn’t stop there. His athleticism is as equally amazing on screens and short passes.
Memphis runs a run-pass option play here. The quarterback elects to throw a screen to Miller, who looks like he’s going to get tackled as soon as he puts his feet on the ground. But Miller’s awareness and quickness on this play is unreal. He cuts on a dime and baptizes the defender, using his speed to then turn a two-yard loss into a first down gain. Mad props.
I can’t find a serious flaw with Anthony Miller. We’ll see how well his sideline feet are with the difference in rules between college and the NFL, but that’s hardly worth mentioning. Miller has an all-around great skill set and is as talented as any rookie wide receiver I’ve seen. The more I watch him, the more confusing it is that he fell as far as he did in the draft.
With great ball skills, great blocking, special route running, incredible quickness, lighting footwork, a high margin of error, ability at the catch point and ability to create YAC, The Bears have what could very well be the biggest gem of the 2018 draft in Anthony Miller.
(Footage courtesy of draftbreakdown.com)