Ventrell Miller

Pos: LB

School: Florida

Ht. 6’0″ 

Wt. 232

Games Watched: Tennessee, Kentucky, Utah

One Liner: Experienced linebacker that wins with instincts, range, and football IQ

Strengths: 

  • Very good instincts. Miller is an experienced linebacker who reads the field well and has a good understanding of misdirections and run plays. He is patient and trusts his eyes, helping him control his gap and defend the run sufficiently.
  • Very good eye discipline. As a pass defender, Miller mirrors QB movements exceptionally well, and maintains good positioning and discipline in his zone as a QB spy or as a second level zone defender.
  • Very good short area quickness and range. Because of his instincts, Miller gets a headstart in pursuit and thus boosts his range capability. Miller bursts into action out of his stance, displaying solid short area quicks to wrap up the play
  • Good zone defending technique. With good eye discipline and range, Miller projects as a solid zone defender at the next level with the traits to be a reliable defender in the passing game.

Weaknesses:

  • Adequate man coverage technique. Miller often gives up positioning by overcommitting as a man defender when defending running backs out of the backfield. 
  • Adequate explosiveness. Miller is not consistently explosive out of his stance, and while his instincts are good, he is a bit late to diagnose play action/read option plays at the mesh point, causing him to be a tick behind in his movements towards the ball
  • Marginal blockshedding ability. Miller lacks block shedding refining, and needs a more nuanced plan to disengage from big bodies in space. He has the arm length to reach over to disrupt gaps but this alone will not be sufficient at the next level.
  • Adequate long speed. Miller has goot short area bursts, but his long speed looks just alright on tape, not track speed esque like Trenton Simpson or Daiyan Henley. 

Overall Assessment: Ventrell Miller is a projectable MIKE linebacker at the next level who has traits to be a special teams contributor and contribute as an early down linebacker early in his career. Miller shows good instincts against the run and does have required short area bursts that would make him a viable MIKE linebacker on 1st and 2nd down. Miller will have to refine his technique as a man to man defender, and will have to find ways to disengage with blocks at the next level. He lacks top level athleticism, which could limit his ability down the line, but his experience makes him a reliable defender who could help a team out as a rotational linebacker early in his career.

Scheme Fit: Odd,even front linebacker who drops back in zone

Pick Projection: Late Day 2 – Early Day 3

Grade: 6.29