The New Orleans Saints don't draft running backs often, but their track record of success certainly gives good reason for excitement about rookie Kendre Miller.
And after two weeks nursing a hamstring injury he's set to make his NFL debut in Week 3, a perfect opportunity with the Saints desperately thin at the position. It's a day he's as excited for as anyone, considering he grew up an Aaron Rodgers fan and idolizing the atmosphere where the Saints play the Packers this week.
"Lambeau Field is going to be like a childhood dream," Miller said this week after being a full participant in practice both days.
It's an NFL debut that could've potentially happened a week earlier, with Miller getting in a workout before the game and that hamstring appearing healthy enough for action. In the end the coaching staff opted to play it safe and went into the game with only two running backs in Jamaal Williams and Tony Jones Jr. Things got dicey when Williams went down with a hamstring injury in the first half, but Jones stepped up with a pair of touchdowns in the 20-17 win.
Williams is expected to miss at least one week with the injury, leaving the team with only a handful of options as they face down the final game of Alvin Kamara's suspension. Jones has been signed to the active roster and Kirk Merritt has been waived. The stage is set for the former TCU standout to strut his stuff, which he did effectively in the preseason. He doesn't know exactly what his role will be, but he says he's ready for it, regardless.
“It’s gonna be that emotion, mixed with all the hard work that I put in," Miller said. "Nothing is overwhelming for me, but I feel like I’ll be ready for it. It’s nothing I haven’t seen so far.”
One question for Miller will be in pass-protection, an area of the game that Jones showed well in last week. Where the rookie has shown some impressive growth is in pass-catching and route-running, something that he simply didn't do much of in college. Miller joined the Saints indicating that it wasn't a lack of skill, and he was confident he could thrive in that area. He showed signs of that in the preseason, and his coaches took notice.
“I think in the opportunities that he has had, he’s proven that he’s been able to get open and catch the ball," offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael said. "So I think part of it was coming to us really with not much work [in that area]. And nothing against [TCU], that’s just the style of offense he was in, and they were pretty good, so there can’t be any complaints. But he’s proven to us that he can get open and catch the ball when given the opportunity.”
The OC adds that there are certain areas of the game where the team has confidence in the young player, and the plan will be to avoid situations where he might not be as comfortable. That will be a balancing act for the coaching staff, and in all likelihood the bulk of the work will go to Jones for another week.
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Still, there's one specific part of Miller's game that quarterback Derek Carr is excited to see put on full display on the Lambeau grass.
“I just want to see that violence that I know that he has, that he runs with," Carr said. "I just can’t wait to see him put that on full display. When you’re a rookie running back, people are coming to find you, so hopefully he tries to go find them and keeps that mindset, keep that confidence."
The Saints (2-0) and Packers (1-1) kick off at noon Sunday.