NEWSLETTER
While being wary of player-to-player comps, we can’t help but be intrigued by Chicago Bears rookie Anthony Miller being mentioned in the same breath as star wideouts Antonio Brown and Steve Smith. So naturally, we find ourselves quite interested to hear Miller name-drop another high-profile receiver who he tries to mold his game after.
“A guy I watch a lot is Chad Johnson,” Miller told the Bernstein and McKnight Show on 670 The Score. “He has the best feet, in my opinion, of any receiver in history. His feet are just incredible. I go to his videos for a lot of moves.”
Johnson once referred to himself as the best route-runner ever, and has the videos to prove it:
With that in mind, how can you not love this exchange?
Pull up OG https://t.co/ASnKSzpXjA
— Anthony Miller (@AnthonyMiller_3) August 6, 2018
You can check out Miller’s full interview with the Bernstein and McKnight Show here:
Route-running is generally regarded as one of Miller’s biggest strengths, so it should come as no surprise that a student-of-the-game type like the Bears’ rookie receiver looks for inspiration among the best to have ever done it.
Johnson might have been something of a sideshow, but he had seven 1,000-yard seasons, six Pro Bowl appearances, and a pair of first-team All-Pro nominations. Johnson had a six-year run from 2002 through 2007 where he *averaged* 88 catches, 1,339 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns. Yeah, I’d try to watch as much tape and pick up as much as I could from that guy because he was clearly doing something right.
Miller was targeted just twice in his preseason debut on Thursday, and his one catch actually resulted in a one-yard loss. But still … it would seem as if the Bears have big plans for the Memphis product in his rookie season. Miller played a limited number of snaps on Thursday, a move that allowed the team to get an extended look at Kevin White, who could use all the game reps he can get since he has played in just five regular season games since being drafted in 2015.
The Bears rolled the dice by trading up in the 2018 NFL Draft to select Miller. And while we’ll never directly compare a rookie to an established veteran, I’m not one to bet against the combination of talent and work ethic that Miller has displayed at camp so far this summer. There is reason to believe the best is yet to come for this talented pass-catcher.
