Scotty Miller does not look the half. That is possible why his solely Division I scholarship supply got here from Bowling Inexperienced, and it is most likely why he did not get invited to the NFL Mix.
Since being drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers within the 2019 NFL Draft, although, Miller has performed the a part of an NFL receiver simply nice. He is coming off his greatest efficiency of the 2020 season, 5 catches for 83 yards and a landing. General, Miller has already topped his rookie-season numbers with 15 catches for 250 yards this season heading right into a Thursday Evening Soccer assembly with the Chicago Bears. And not less than in biography and stature, Miller may remind a few of Tom Brady’s former slot-receiver buddies in New England, Wes Welker and Julian Edelman.
Here is what you need to find out about Miller, considered one of Brady’s new favourite targets.
1. An undersized sixth-round choose from Bowling Inexperienced
Miller, from Barrington (IL), put collectively three productive seasons at Bowling Inexperienced regardless of his dimension. In accordance with 247Sports activities, Miller’s solely D-I scholarship supply got here from the Falcons.
As a senior, Miller was listed at 5-11 however solely 166 kilos (and he measured as 5-9 at his Professional Day). Throughout that 2018 season, Miller hauled in 71 catches for 1,148 yards and 9 touchdowns. That included a monster recreation within the season opener towards Oregon, when he had 13 catches for 166 yards and two scores towards a ranked Oregon crew. Miller’s season-high receiving yards got here towards Western Michigan, when he piled up 206 yards.
Partially because of a small function in his freshman yr, Miller settled for ending third on BGSU’s all-time receiving yardage and reception leaderboards. The ultimate play of his school profession was a 63-yard landing reception towards Buffalo. Miller was drafted by the Buccaneers with the 208th total choose of the 2019 NFL Draft, a sixth-round choice. The choose Miller was taken with got here to Tampa Bay in a commerce that despatched DeSean Jackson again to the Eagles.
2. Not only a slot receiver
It is easy to image the smallest receiver on a soccer discipline lining up within the slot, operating quick patterns with exact footwork to get open within the flat or over the center. Miller does that, generally. However he is truly lined up double the snaps (98) on the skin as he has within the slot (49) thus far this season.
One strategy to gauge the place Miller has been getting his targets is to make use of common depth of goal, a statistic that measures how far an tried go travels earlier than reaching its supposed receiver. Miller’s common depth of goal this season is 16.zero yards. In Mike Evans’ final two seasons, even with strong-armed Jameis Winston slinging him the ball, Evans’ common depth of goal was solely about 15.5.
In actuality, Miller could be Brady’s favourite deep risk – sometimes, Brady used Edelman the identical manner in New England, lofting passes excessive for Edelman to dash below and seize.
“I came upon the primary day I threw with him that he nonetheless has it,” Miller informed the Buccaneers’ official web site about Brady’s deep ball. “He throws simply as exhausting as anybody I’ve ever thrown with, nonetheless. After which his deep ball is nice as effectively.”
3. Miller can fly
At Bowling Inexperienced’s Professional Day, Miller ran a 4.36-second 40-yard sprint. He relayed the story to the Chicago Tribune of his name from the Buccaneers on draft day, when the voice on the opposite finish of the road informed Miller, “We’ve got a necessity for velocity.”
In that very same story, Miller spoke about his disappointment in not being invited to the NFL Mix. His athletic testing definitely would’ve caught much more groups’ eyes there. Tampa Bay is definitely joyful that they solely needed to spend a sixth-round choose on a participant who in contrast favorably in testing to Mecole Hardman, who the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs took within the second spherical.
4. Miller and Brady have excessive reward for one another
After Brady led a Tampa Bay comeback in Week 4, Miller summed it up succinctly: “How are you going to not imagine in him? He is the best to ever do it.”
Brady has had good issues to say about Miller relationship again to coaching camp. And earlier than Tampa Bay’s season opener, Brady informed the Fox broadcast crew that whereas folks may not know Miller but, they’d be the top of the season. The Buccaneers’ Twitter account has gotten in on the Brady-Miller love, too.
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