From now until the 2023 NFL Draft takes place, we hope to scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top 10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents Today, I’ll be profiling Florida LB Ventrell Miller.
#51 Ventrell Miller, LB, Florida (R-Senior) – 6000, 232lb
Combine Invite
Measurements
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Ventrell Miller | 6’0, 232lb | 9 1/8 | 32 1/2 | N/A |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| N/A | N/A |
The Good
— Has great play speed and explosiveness
— Flies to the football with a sense of urgency
— Closes ground in pursuit quickly thanks to his acceleration
— Aggressive hitter that shoots himself into ballcarriers
— Looks for the strip to create splash plays
— Works hard to work around blocks in pursuit of the football
— Has ample experience playing in the middle of the defense
— Makes the checks pre-snap and gets the defense set as the green dot guy
— Does a good job communicating pre-snap to his teammates
— Will have his eyes and reads take him to the ball and fill in the gap
— Will flow to the football in coverage and tackles the catch
— Effective blitzer from the box thanks to his closing burst and demeanor
— Has extensive experience playing on special teams
The Bad
— Lacks ideal size and height for the position
— Small frame leads to him getting engulfed by bigger blockers
— Has trouble fighting off blocks once engaged
— Lacks balance to stay upright on contact, ending up on the ground a lot
— Doesn’t have much in terms of a pass-rush repertoire
— Can be slow diagnosing plays, being late to trigger on the ball
— Can do a better job of keeping clean at the second level and not run into blocks
— Will get his eyes stuck in the backfield, leading to busts in coverage
— Mental processing needs to be faster to be more consistent in coverage
— Will be a 24-year-old rookie
— Has become a quality player and teammate, but has two separate suspensions in his early college career
Bio
— Redshirt Senior from Lakeland, FL
— Born January 15, 1999 (age 24)
— All-State defense pick at Kathleen High School as a junior and senior
— Had two separate suspensions as a true freshman at Florida due to misdemeanor possession of marijuana and his role in the credit card fraud scheme, causing him the miss the entire season
— Appeared in all 13 games as a reserve and special teamer in 2018 and totaled 15 tackles, two TFLs, one sack and one interception for a TD
— Appeared in 12 games, starting 11 at linebacker in 2019 and notched 55 total stops, 5.5 TFLs, three sacks, and two PBUs
— Played in 11 games, starting in 10 in 2020 and racked up 86 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, three PBUs, and a fumble recovery
— Started two games in 2021 before tearing his bicep, causing him to mix the rest of the season
— Appeared in 11 games, including 10 starts in 2022 and recorded 74 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, two PBUs, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery
— Two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll (2019-20)
— Earned his bachelor’s degree in Family, Youth and Community Sciences
Tape Breakdown
Ventrell Miller had a Van Wilder-type of experience in college as the redshirt senior spent six seasons in Gainesville with the Gators after enrolling in 2017. I had the opportunity to coach Miller back in the summer of 2018 in the strength and conditioning department and enjoyed working with him, being a driven, athletic linebacker both in the weight room and on the football field.
Miller is a stout linebacker, standing right at 6’0, 232lb. He has a compact frame and plays with a fair amount of speed, strength, and explosiveness. He rallies well to the football in pursuit, showing off his closing burst as you can see in the clips below to chase down his prey to make the tackle.
Miller does a great job triggering downhill as a rugged, physical ILB. He looks to smack the ballcarrier with force both in run and pass situations. Check out these two plays in the above clips. In the first one Miller flies through the gap on the blitz to hit QB Hendon Hooker as he releases the football, breaking up the pass. In the second clip, watch Miller quickly work laterally into the gap up on his own goal line and stick RB Tavion Thomas from Utah right at the goal line. That forced the ball out on the fumble, preventing the Utes from scoring.
Miller is opportunistic as a tackler, looking to make the strip when the second man to the scene or when the tackle is secure. Look at this play in which Miller is the second guy to the receiver, who is attempting to pick up yards after the catch. He successfully punches the ball out, creating the turnover and giving his offense the football back.
Due to his lack of size and ideal frame, Miller must keep clean at the second level as he attempts to get in on tackle attempts. He works hard through the trash and can evade blockers like on this clip against Utah, working around the blocker and sticks the runner right at the LOS for no gain on the play.
Miller’s frame works against him at times in his ability to make tackles and fight off blocks. He can get engulfed by size and has a tough time shedding blocks once the OL has his hands on him. He also misses a fair number of tackles, like on this play here against the Utes, due to being slow to react and be in proper position as well as lacking the ideal length and size to consistently wrap up his opponent.
As mentioned above, Miller can be slow to react at times, with his eyes getting caught in the backfield as well as having delayed processing regarding what he is seeing. Here is a good example of that in coverage against Tennessee. Miller is tasked with zone coverage in the middle of the field, but he has his eyes glued on the QB in the backfield, unaware of the WR running right behind him. The WR makes the easy reception for the first down as the CB gets caught out of position as well.
Conclusion
Ventrell Miller is an experienced, physical linebacker with the skill set to be a capable two-down defender at the next level. He lacks ideal size and coverage instincts to be a high-level three-down defender at the next level. But he has the athletic traits and play demeanor to play in spot-start opportunities though primarily serve in a rotational/backup role while also contributing on special teams. Despite the events that occurred his freshman season in 2017, the Florida coaching staff and I back his character, knowing he would be a great fit in an NFL locker room.
When watching Miller on tape, I see a similar player to B.J. Goodson. Goodson was taken in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft out of Clemson and profiled as that two-down run plugger as well coming out of college. Like Miller, he was a thickly built (6’0 5/8”, 242lb) off-ball linebacker lacking top-tier size, height, and speed. Still, Goodson carved out his role as a reserve and special teamer right away with the Giants and went on to start 43 career games with the Giants, Packers, and Browns.
I foresee Miller following a similar path: a likely reserve and core special teamer to start his career as he works on his coverage skills and mentally gets up to speed with the increased level of competition to contribute on defense. I see him in a similar light to Mark Robinson of the Steelers, so perhaps Pittsburgh may not want two similar developmental players. However, after losing several ILBs this offseason and depending on when the position is addressed in the draft, Miller could be a player the Steelers target on Day Three.
Projection: Day Three
Depot Draft Grade: 6.6–Backup/Special Teamer (5th Round)
Games Watched: vs South Carolina (2022), vs Utah (2022), at Tennessee (2022)
