As the NFL season winds down, FantasyPros will be taking a look at early NFL draft scouting reports before the combine in March. Here’s a look at Kendre Miller.
Check out all of our 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports & Prospect Profiles 
6’0″ – 220 lbs.
Background:
Texas native and two-star recruit who carried the ball 54 times for 388 yards and two scores (7.2 yards per attempt) as a freshman. He then totaled 83-623-7 (7.5) the following year before breaking out with a 224-1,399-17 (6.2) line as the feature back this past season as of the time of writing. Has also caught 29 career passes, all but one of which came in the past two seasons.
Positives:
Won the starting role this past season and had an outstanding year. Big back who will meet any team’s size requirements. Plays with the grit, physicality, and toughness teams look for at the position. Pretty patient back with above-average vision and quick feet to recognize and shuffle into lanes. Makes sharp cuts in congestion. Shows impressive burst/decisiveness and solid speed to rip off chunk plays when lanes are open. Hard runner who’s able to get through arm tackles and fights hard to push the pile and pick up extra yardage after contact, wearing down defenders over the course of the game. Able to squeeze through congestion and burrow ahead for additional yardage. Can hear the pads click when he lowers his shoulder. Violent spin move allows him to create something out of nothing when faced with early penetration. Racked up touchdowns this past season and could find an early-career role near the goal line.
Negatives:
Can run high at times, exposing his lower body to punishment. Looks better pounding it between the tackles than he does on outside rushing attempts, struggling to consistently win the edge. Overall balance is closer to average, causing him to leave some yardage on the table. Cleaned up his ball security this past year but fumbled three times in less than 100 touches as a sophomore. Doesn’t look like a natural receiver and wasn’t a particularly productive back on passing downs in college; drops and double-catches too many passes. Hasn’t been an effective pass-protector in school.
Summary:
May not be the flashiest back in the class, but has one of the most pro-ready games between the tackles, with the size, vision, footwork, burst, power and physicality to grind out tough yardage up the middle and to convert opportunities near the goal line. As it currently stands, doesn’t appear to have much value on passing downs, so is probably destined to work into a team’s running-back rotation as an early-down/short-yardage power back, complemented by a receiving/blocking specialist. Could conceivably sneak into the second day and shouldn’t fall much further than that.
Projection: Rounds 3-4
Other 2023 NFL Draft Running Back Prospects
- Devon Achane (RB – Texas A&M)
- Tank Bigsby (RB – Auburn)
- Chase Brown (RB – Illinois)
- Zach Charbonnet (RB – UCLA)
- Zach Evans (RB – Mississippi)
- Jahmyr Gibbs (RB – Alabama)
- Roschon Johnson (RB – Texas)
- Kenny McIntosh (RB – Georgia)
- Bijan Robinson (RB – Texas)
- Sean Tucker (RB – Syracuse)
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