Meet Wide Receiver Anthony Miller, the Chicago Bears’ OTHER Second-Round Pick

April 28, 2018, by Luis Medina Chicago Bears

You wanted a wide receiver? Well, you got one.

And he comes with quite a ringing endorsement:

I’ve watched a lot of film on Anthony Miller. The kid can run. I can’t wait to see how this Matt Nagy offense is going to look! Let’s go! #Bears #NFLDraft

— Jarrett Payton (@paytonsun) April 28, 2018

THE PICK (ROUND 2, PICK 51)

Name: Anthony Miller
College: Memphis
Position: Wide receiver
Age: 23
Height, weight, hand size, arms: 5-foot-11, 201 pounds, 10-5/8 inches, 31-5/8 inches

NEED TO KNOW

2017 stats: 13 games, 96 catches, 1,462 yards, 18 touchdowns
2017 accomplishments: Consensus All-American, Associated Press first-team All-American
Career stats: 38 games, 238 catches, 3,590 yards, 37 touchdowns; 31 rushes, 148 yards, 3 touchdowns

HIGHLIGHTS

Here’s some Anthony Miller highlights for you #Bears fans out there. You’re welcome. #NFLDraft #BearsDraft pic.twitter.com/ILYQTIY1vz

— Jarrett Payton (@paytonsun) April 28, 2018

PRO DAY RESULTS

40-yard dash: 4.48
Bench press: 22* (performed at Scouting Combine in Indianapolis)
Vertical: 39 inches

THREE STRENGTHS

Sharp route-runner with run-after-the-catch skills. Looks like someone who knows what he is doing and where he is going whenever he goes out in a pattern. Was often turning short passes into big plays at Memphis.
Miller’s athleticism stands out. He possesses excellent body control, good speed, and can break down a defense on multiple levels. Miller’s strong build allows him to break tackles and extend plays, averaging 6.9 yards after the catch per reception over the last three years.
Swagggggg. Miller plays with an edge like he’s got chips on each shoulder. One of those “started from the bottom” types who started his college career as a walk-on. The effort is always there. Miller is a grinder, one who is skilled, confident, and easy to root for because of his big-play ability.

THREE WEAKNESSES

Timed speed suggests he is more quick than fast, but playing speed is more important than clocked speed.
Has five career fumbles, which is something that needs to be cleaned up at the next level if he is going to grow into one of Mitch Trubisky’s favorite target.
Not a weakness Miller could control, but the competition in the American Athletic Conference mostly leaves a lot to be desired. Certainly defenses tried to fixate on Miller and tried to take him away at every turn, so I suppose it’s encouraging that he still put up huge numbers despite being at the top of every scouting report.

NFL.COM COMPARISON: Kendall Wright.

WHERE MILLER FITS

Going through Pro Football Focus’ data and it wasn’t long before I realized how much of a fit Miller was for Nagy’s offense.

Miller was a reliable deep threat who picked up the 12th most deep pass yards among receivers in this class, according to PFF’s numbers. He also picked up the 14th most yards out of the slot and 24th most slot receptions, which says a lot about his production because he spent a bulk of his time working on the outside.

A versatile, productive, and efficient playmaker is exactly what Nagy, Trubisky, and the rest of this offense needed – especially after allowing Cameron Meredith to walk away as a restricted free agent.

PRESS INTRODUCTION