Chicago Bears: Anthony Miller will dominate in 2019
To some, I’ll never be strong enough
I pulled that quote straight from Anthony Miller’s letter to the NFL General Managers. Miller thrives off being the underdog. He enjoys proving his doubters wrong. He will have a hard time proving me wrong as I feel as though I might be his biggest fan. As I said, I am clearly biased by this kid and likely blinded to what he could become. The thing is, I do not care.
I will sit upon this hill and shout how great of a receiver I think Anthony Miller could be. He knows how to get open. According to Matt Harmon’s Reception Perception, Miller is an above average separator. Miller had a 69.2 percent success rate against man coverage and an elite 85.1 percent success rate against zone coverage coming out of college.
Miller clearly put that on display in 2018 with the Bears. He produced by proving he can run a complete route tree. I like to think of him as the complete opposite of Kevin White in this regard. Receivers who play out of the slot and can run full route trees with above-average success rates are usually successful in the NFL. Miller should not be any different.
Miller lacks top-end speed, but he knows how to get behind coverage as shown in the loss to the Miami Dolphins. He quickly notices blown zone coverage, puts his hand up and Trubisky hits him over the middle for an easy touchdown. The way Miller understands the game already is beyond the level of most rookies. In fact, his football IQ might be higher than most veterans.
Miller might not be “fast”, but he is quick. He has good hip movement and feet when it comes to breaking off his routes. He has sure hands when he is fully focused on making the catch. He might not be the tallest receiver in the game, but he plays bigger than his height. Many analysts believe year three is when rookie receivers click. I believe that will come in year two for Miller.
Bonus nugget: If you play fantasy football, make sure to draft him before his 12th-round ADP.
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As I look at his production from 2018 and factor in his talents and drive to be the best, I see Miller being the most productive Bears wide receiver in 2019. I will go out on a limb and predict Miller to see 110 targets, 74 receptions for 1,024 yards and 10 touchdowns. The only things that could affect Miller succeeding are his health and the success of Mitchell Trubisky. I have faith in both.