It’s hard to say how high or low teams were going to be on Braxton Miller, quarterback. But as a wide receiver? Seems like there’s enough interest in him, maybe even as a first round layer. The Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals are all interested.
Miller was a two-time Big Ten offensive player of the year before an injury made him miss the entire 2014 season. When he came back, he was suddenly number three on the depth chart behind Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett. So instead of transferring or battling for a quarterback spot, he made an interesting move, turning into a wide receiver. Turned out it worked out quite well for him, even though Urban Meyer used him less often than some would expect.
Miller finished with 25 receptions for 340 yards and three touchdowns, while also used in rushing plays, going for 261 yards on 43 carries with one touchdown. When the ball was in his hands, Miller showed great speed, elusiveness and the ability to make spectacular plays, like that spin move against Virginia Tech that made everybody think he was going to pull it off every week. The Buckeyes didn’t use him too much during the season.
Miller is hoping to be more than just a gadget player, or someone teams can even put behind center from time to time for some surprise play. He wants to be a receiver who gets to be on the field as much as possible. When teams take players in the first or second round, with many projecting Miller to go that early, it means high expectations. And for that to happen, the 23-year old (his age might also be a slight issue) needs to improve a number of things.
While Miller is great with the ball in his hands, he only has one season of being a receiver. His route running needs a lot of improvement, doing poorly when it’s selling a certain play, and he seems a bit too careless at times with the way he carries the ball. He’s big, fast, quick, athletic. He has very good hands. But in order for his physical traits to translate into NFL success, Miller has to develop rather quickly as someone who knows how to run routes and get himself open with skill, not just speed.