The Seattle Seahawks at the moment have a half dozen inside linebackers on their roster, together with Bobby Wagner (welcome dwelling!) and Devin Bush (UFA, Steelers), each of whom signed 1-year contracts in free company.
Wagner and Bush be a part of Jordyn Brooks (who might miss most/the entire 2023 season rehabbing the ACL harm he suffered in December), Nick Bellore (re-signed for two years), Jon Rhattigan (ERFA, qualifying provide), and Vi Jones.
But it seems doubtless that the Seahawks will choose at the least one linebacker on this yr’s draft, and that is sensible since solely Nick Bellore is at the moment signed previous this season.
Enter Ventrell Miller?
In line with The Draft Community’s Ryan Fowler, the Seahawks not too long ago met with the Florida linebacker (emphasis on met with as this doesn’t seem to have been a High-30 go to).
Busy week for Florida LB Ventrell Miller.
He’s met with each the Seahawks and Chargers and is scheduled to take a seat down with Buccaneers brass at present — a gathering that may embrace GM Jason Licht and HC Todd Bowles, a supply mentioned.
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) April 6, 2023
So who’s Ventrell Miller, and why would the Seahawks have an interest?
Ventrell Miller is a redshirt senior linebacker who performed his faculty ball with the Florida Gators. As you would possibly anticipate, primarily based on his class standing, Miller is an older prospect – he turned 24 in January.
A part of the explanation for Miller’s prolonged faculty expertise is that he was certainly one of 9 Florida gamers suspended in 2017 for his or her involvement in a bank card scandal that led to felony fraud prices.
Miller was certainly one of 4 gamers that rejoined the workforce in January 2018.
By 2022, Ventrell Miller was a workforce captain.
When his last season ended, Miller was named Florida’s Defensive Participant of the 12 months and given the Fergie Ferguson Award for his “excellent management, character, and braveness.”
Head Coach Billy Napier had this to say about Miller:
“Ventrell Miller is pretty much as good of a human being as I’ve been round in my profession. I can’t praise him sufficient. His capability to have an effect on the opposite gamers, his consistency as an individual. There’s no wavering on his phrases, his actions, his take care of different folks. He’s an previous soul. He has the power to see the large image and actually take care of different folks. Very distinctive participant, and he’s a heck of a soccer participant. He particularly is one I’ll keep in mind for certain.”
Miller completed his faculty profession with 238 tackles, 23-1/2 tackles for loss (TFLs), and 7-1/2 sacks. He additionally had an 82-yard pick-6 (his freshman yr), two pressured fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.
In line with a number of reviews, together with this one from Sports activities Illustrated, Miller performed a lot of the 2022 season with a damaged foot. He initially injured it in Week 2, missed Week 3, and returned Week 4.
Miller opted to skip the Gators’ bowl recreation and had bone graft surgical procedure on his proper foot to restore a Jones fracture on December twenty second.
He was capable of attend the NFL Mix and not using a boot on his foot and is predicted to be prepared for rookie minicamp.
Right here’s a video of him figuring out / rehabbing in late-February:
Florida LB Ventrell Miller shall be on the NFL Mix and not using a boot on proper foot following Dec. 22 bone graft surgical procedure to restore Jones fracture. He’ll meet with groups/docs + anticipated to be prepared for rookie minicamp, per supply.
Miller, a Day 2 Draft candidate, working final week pic.twitter.com/XMVkj2iuLo
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) February 27, 2023
The above video however, Miller correctly selected to not do any testing on the NFL Mix and doubled down on that call at Florida’s Professional Day. Happily, there’s loads of tape on him since he performed in 43 video games throughout his faculty profession, and the scouting reviews are sturdy.
In line with The Draft Community, Ventrell Miller is 6-foot tall, weighs 232 kilos, has 32-1/2-inch arms, and 9-1/8-inch fingers.
The Draft Community lists his 40-time as 4.60, however, as famous above, Miller didn’t check at both the Mix or his Professional Day so it’s unclear the place that point got here from.
From their scouting report:
High Causes to Purchase In:
* Expertise
* Excessive IQ/soccer data
* Management qualities
High Causes for Concern:
* Sideline-to-sideline pursuit
* Go protection
* Practical power
Highlights:
For what it’s value, some of us have projected Ventrell Miller as a Day Two choose, however he’s the eleventh linebacker on PFF’s Huge Board (#179 general), and the twelfth linebacker on PFN’s Consensus Huge Board (#180 general) which makes it seem to be Day Three might be extra doubtless.
