Jacksonville Jaguars select Ventrell Miller in fourth round of 2023 NFL Draft

One of the SEC’s most productive veteran linebackers is off the board, with the Jacksonville Jaguars selecting Florida linebacker Ventrell Miller in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Miller spent six years at Florida, starring for the Gators at middle linebacker from 2019-22 after breaking into the starting lineup.

He was twice named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week during the 2020 season for the Gators. In five playing seasons, Miller racked up 240 tackles, 23.5 tackles for a loss, 7.5 sacks, an interception, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and eight passes defended.

Miller started 33 games, with the lone thing keeping him from even bigger contributions a torn biceps that derailed his 2021 campaign just two games in.

But for all of Miller’s production at Florida, he wasn’t particularly highly regarded as a recruit.

Miller checked in as a three-star prospect and the No. 502 overall player in the nation in the 2017 recruiting class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. He was ranked as the No. 58 linebacker in his class and the No. 69 player in the state of Florida, hailing from Lakeland (Fla.) Kathleen.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Ventrell Miller

The biggest knock on Miller in college was his sideline-to-sideline speed and some struggles in pass coverage, which made him a bit of a one-dimensional linebacker at times.

That appears to be the thing that many NFL Draft scouts are noting when they flip on the tape.

Writes NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein in evaluating Miller:

“Likely two-down linebacker with good physicality but a lack of standout athletic traits. Miller appears to lack top-end speed and will lose pursuit chases on outside runs when his instincts/recognition is a step slow. He has the play strength and demeanor for life inside the box but is on the lighter side for an inside linebacker.

“While he’s not a playmaker, he’s hardly timid about triggering downhill and taking chances when he’s quick to diagnose the action. He can drop into zones but could be a liability when matched up in space. Miller will be a 24-year-old rookie, but he has the mental makeup and special teams potential to find backup work early on.”

Among the strengths listed for Miller are his tracking of the ball in the box, his balance and leverage into contact and his quickness in diagnosing play-action.

However, his weaknesses include his field range and overall speed, as well as his struggles in man coverage.