Christen Miller was a four star prospect coming out of high school in Ellenwood, Georgia. A two time state champ, Miller was All State in Georgia his senior year, played in the prestigious All American Bowl and was rated the 19th best defensive line prospect in the country.
He stayed in his home state to play at the University of Georgia. Miller, who will turn 22 in August, saw action in just four games as a freshman and redshirted. He played in 13 games in 2023 and was going to transfer but changed his mind and stayed in Athens for the remainder of his college career.
2024 was the breakout season for the 6'4", 310 pound tackle. He started in 10 games and Pro Football Focus graded him as one of the top defensive linemen in the Power Four conferences. He considered declaring for the NFL Draft after the season but decided he needed another year of development and improvement.
As a redshirt junior last season, Miller started every game and earned First Team All SEC honors from Associated Press. For his career, Miller played in 43 games and had over 1,000 snaps on defense.
Miller, who has a 33 inch wingspan, went to the NFL Combine in February but did not participate in drills, opting instead to work out for NFL scouts at Georgia's pro day. He trains in the off season with former Bulldogs teammate Travon Walker, the top pick in the 2022 draft.
Joe Marino provides draft analysis for WGR. His website is thejoemarino.com and you can subscribe to his Locked On Bills Podcast. Joe shares his thoughts on Miller.
Positives:
I'm a big fan. He's kind of a penetration style nose, so not just like a space eater. He can get into gaps and play on the other side of the line of scrimmage. He does well to play with length and extension. He owns his space and that ability to lock out blocks, find the football, and shed really good. He's got really nice ability to stay square to blocks and doesn't get turned and then rooted out of his run fit. He's very firm and I think a lot of that is because of how square he plays. He's got that knockback power in the hands that you're looking for. I think there's some versatility here, where a lot of the guys we are going to talk about are more nose tackle only. I think he can certainly play in the A gaps, but I think in odd fronts, 3 man fronts, I think he can play out towards the outside shade of the offensive tackle. I think there's some versatility here with Christen Miller.
Negatives:
If you want a big space eating nose tackle, I don't think he's quite that. I think his anchor and ability to own that space is really good, but he's a little bit more of a penetration style nose though. If that's not what you're interested in, he's not going to check the box. I think his block recognition and processing speed can improve, which I think would lead to more playmaking. While I do think he's got an appealing pass rush profile, there are going to be limitations there, just based on him profiling best to a nose tackle role. I'm curious to see where the pass rush upside can come. I think there's a little bit more here than with some of the other guys, but I would say that it's still a modest upside when it comes to passing down impact.
The NFL Draft will be held April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.
If the Bills want to add at defensive tackle, there are a number of good prospects in this month's draft.
If the Bills want to add at defensive tackle, there are a number of good prospects in this month's draft.
