Kendre Miller, RB TCU: 2023 NFL Draft Profile
Miller was a three-star athlete recruit from Mount Enterprise High School in Mount Enterprise, Texas in the class of 2020
TCU running back Kendre Miller was one of several legitimate 2023 NFL Draft prospects that boosted the Horned Frogs to new heights this past season. He battles some physical limitations, but the junior should still go by the end of the fourth round.
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Kendre Miller, RB TCU: 2023 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Junior running back from Mount Enterprise, Texas
Background: Miller was a three-star athlete recruit from Mount Enterprise High School in Mount Enterprise, Texas in the class of 2020. He was the No. 1,616 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 1,400 for On3.com. Miller was an unranked two-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 76 grade out of 100. He produced 2,508 yards and 34 touchdowns on the ground as a quarterback during his senior high school season. He was the District 10-2A-II Overall Most Valuable Player as a senior and received Third-Team All-State honors as a junior from the Texas Sports Writers Association. According to MaxPreps, Miller carried the ball 207 times for 1,806 yards and 20 touchdowns as a junior.
Injuries & Off-Field: Left 2022 Michigan game early with a knee injury and missed the National Championship against Georgia
Awards: 2022 First-Team All-Big 12
Pros: Age, limited wear on his tires, patient waiting for the rushing lane to develop, varies speed to synch with blockers, adequate vision to find cutback lanes, generated more than 3.8 yards after contact per carry during his college career, steps through arm tackles, finishes falling forward, excellent contact balance, spin move, stiff arm, drags tacklers for extra yards, agility and lateral quickness for sudden jump cuts, plants foot in the ground and makes sharp cuts, footwork to make sudden cuts, enough long speed to break big plays, enough juice to hit outside runs and reach the defense’s third level, willing to stonewall blitzing linebackers or defensive backs in pass pro, squares up to defender in pass pro
Cons: Limited to no special teams experience, five fumbles in the past two years, runs high, not twitchy or sudden, lacks elite burst and long speed, not a home run hitter, speed is more built up than sudden, gets caught or tripped from behind, not a true pile mover, stop-start agility is limited, more ability working north-south than east-west, limited technique to sustain blocks in pass pro, two drops in 2022, limited production as a pass catcher, routes are sometimes run half-heartedly
Overview: Miller took official measurements at the NFL Combine. He’s 5112 and weighs 215 lbs. He has 9 3/8-inch hands, 32 3/8-inch arms, and a 78 4/8-inch wingspan. Miller was one of college football’s most productive running backs in 2022. He was one of seven running backs with 230 carries or fewer to rush for more than 1,300 yards, joining players like Zach Charbonnet, Eric Gray, Raheim Sanders, and Tyjae Spears. He ranked among the top 15 running backs in the nation in yards after contact, forced missed tackles, and runs of ten or more yards. Miller won’t turn 21 until June and only has limited wear and tear on his legs. He is patient waiting for rushing lanes to develop and varies his speed to synch with blockers. The former three-star recruit has adequate vision to find cutback lanes. He plays with excellent contact balance and toughness. Miller steps through arm tackles, finishes falling forward, and drags tacklers for extra yards. He throws stiff arms and spin moves. Miller’s agility and lateral quickness allow for sudden cuts that make defenders miss. He has enough juice to hit the occasional outside run. The junior is willing to square up and thump blitzing linebackers and defensive backs in pass protection. Miller has limited to no special teams experience, which limits his path to the field. He’s fumbled five times over the past two years. Miller runs high, isn’t twitchy or sudden, and lacks elite burst and long speed. His speed is more built up than sudden. He has limited stop-start agility and is better working north to south than east to west. The Texas native lacks the technique to sustain blocks. He’s underutilized and unproven as a volume pass catcher.
Overall, Miller is a well-rounded runner with excellent production and contact balance to create between the tackles. However, he lacks the burst and long speed to play in an outside zone scheme and finish home runs. Miller will need to expand his role in the passing game to become a feature back in the NFL.
Role & Scheme Fit: Gap or inside zone-heavy scheme
Round Projection: Late Third to Mid Fourth
Player Comparison: N/A
Submitted: 03-25-23