What to Know: Packers host Furman standout pass-catcher Ryan Miller

The Green Bay Packers had in Furman “tight end” Ryan Miller for an official pre-draft visit last week, according to Bill Huber of SI.

Although listed as a tight end, Miller measures in at 6’1″ and weighs 210 pounds. In the NFL, he will play wide receiver, as Huber notes in his article, and at that position, Miller posted a Relative Athletic Score of 6.95, with the typical bigger frame that the Packers prefer at the position. He would run a 4.52-second 40-yard dash.

Miller had a five-year career at Furman, and was a three time FCS All-American, with the last two seasons being his most productive. In 2021, Miller caught 43 of his 67 pass attempts at a whopping 17.3 yards per catch with four touchdowns. That season, Miller averaged a whopping 10.6 yards after the catch and 2.7 yards per route run. Among tight ends with at least 61 targets, Miller would have ranked first and third in each of those categories.

This past year, Miller hauled in 71 of his 106 targets at 10.6 yards per catch with 12 touchdowns. This included a 13-catch, 95-yard performance against Clemson. Nearly 60% of his career snaps would come lined up in the slot, with another 12% on the boundary. For what it’s worth, Miller never graded out that well as a blocker by PFF’s metrics.

Miller will likely be a Day 3 pick or even signed after the draft as an undrafted rookie. For a glimpse at his game, here is what The Draft Network’s Ryan Fowler wrote:

"“At one point this fall, he had 15 touchdowns in his last 15 games, a tip of the cap toward his knack for finding the endzone in whatever way possible. He’s undersized for the tight end position (where he played in college) but could sneak his way into day three as someone with a sure set of hands that understands how to sit routes in zone coverage with sneaky jump off the line of scrimmage.“"

While the Packers could use additional playmaking at the reciever position, which in part, hopefully, comes from Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs making leaps in their second NFL seasons, they also need depth. As of now, the Packers have only five receivers on the entire roster, four of which were 2022 draft picks.

Miller would be fighting for a roster spot as a slot option for the Packers, a specific role they need to fill. There are two ways Green Bay can go about addressing this need. They can either draft someone like Miller, who will take the bulk of his snaps from the slot–two early-round options to fill this need include Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Parker Washington.

Or the Packers can select a prospect who can play both inside and out, which seems to better fit what Matt LaFleur wants to do, with versatility at the position being coveted. Although a small sample size, Watson was one of the more efficient pass catchers from the slot last season. A few receivers who fit this mold are Rashee Rice, Cedric Tillman, and Xavier Hutchinson

After selecting three receivers in the 2022 draft, I expect the Packers to select at least two in this year’s draft as well.