Julian Miller, Senior, Defensive End, West Virginia
Overview:
Julian Miller burst onto the scene during his sophomore season. The 6-4, 260 pound defensive end totaled 53 tackles and a team high 9.0 sacks and 14.0 tackles-for-loss. Miller was relatively productive during his redshirt freshman campaign in 2008 as well. He even started a couple games that season, which is rare for a defensive lineman for West Virginia.
Miller put up nearly identical numbers in 2010, tallying 54 tackles, 9.0 sacks and 14.0 tackles-for-loss. The emergence of fellow defensive end Bruce Irvin made Miller’s job easier since the opposition could not afford to double team him and let Irvin run wild.
Final Projection:
Miller’s versatility is what makes him an attractive option to the NFL. He is a solid tackler from the end position and can obviously cause some havoc in the backfield as he has proven over the course of his collegiate career. However, it is his ability to drop into coverage that makes him different than most other defensive ends in the NFL Draft class of 2012. Miller has great footwork and is often asked to drop back. He will break up passes or, at the least, confuse the quarterback when West Virginia wants to mix up their blitz scheme.
1/5/12 Update:
Miller had another good season in 2011 despite suffering from an ankle injury for much of the campaign. When he was healthy, he was a dominating force on West Virginia's frontline. Miller will workout well between now and the draft and that will likely boost his draft stock into the second round.
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