Tag: Ventrell Miller

Jaguars draft Florida LB Ventrell Miller with No. 121 pick

The Jaguars finally added to their defense by picking Florida linebacker Ventrell Miller.

The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Florida linebacker Ventrell Miller with the No. 121 overall pick in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft.

Miller recently visited TIAA Bank Field ahead of the draft.

Miller, 24, is a 6’0, 232-pound linebacker who spent six years at Florida after sitting out his freshman year due to a suspension and most of the 2021 season due to an injury.

On the field, Miller was credited with 240 career tackles, 7.5 sacks, one interceptions, and two forced fumbles. He was twice named SEC Defensive Player of the Week during the 2020 season and was on the SEC academic honor roll twice.

Last year, the Jaguars signed linebacker Foye Oluokun in free agency and drafted Devin Lloyd and Chad Muma in rounds one and three, respectively, during the 2022 NFL draft.

The No. 121 pick was the first of three owned by the Jaguars in the fourth round and the first of 10 in Day 3 of the 2023 NFL draft. Jacksonville is scheduled to pick again at No. 127 overall. Miller is the first defensive player picked by the team so far.

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Where Florida players stand on ESPN Mel Kiper’s final Big Board

It’s draft season and plenty of former Gators are hoping to hear their names called. Here’s where ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranks them just days before the big event.

The 2023 NFL draft is almost ready to begin, and that means draft analysts are locking in their final projections and Big Boards ahead of the big day. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. is one of the most well-known analysts in the country and he published his final list on Tuesday.

Quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] leads the bunch at No. 7 overall, followed by offensive guard [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag] at No. 61 and defensive tackle [autotag]Gervon Dexter Sr[/autotag]. at No. 103 overall. Richardson is ranked fourth among quarterbacks in the draft class, Torrence is ranked third among guards and Dexter is the No. 10 defensive tackle.

Kiper’s takes on Florida’s top prospects are interesting. Richardson has been projected to go as high as No. 1 overall, but Kiper sees his stock falling ever so slightly. Torrence has been considered the top guard in the draft for a while, so seeing him at No. 3 is also peculiar.

“Richardson is still very raw,” Kiper wrote. “His mechanics and footwork need a lot of work. He has accuracy issues on shorter throws that should be easier. And yet, the arm strength and the dual-threat ability are so intriguing that a team near the end of Round 1 absolutely could take him and let him develop.”

Plenty of other Gators made the positional rankings.

On offense, wide receiver [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] is No. 43 in his position group, and  [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] is the 23rd-best offensive tackle. Defensively, linebackers [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] and [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] come in at Nos. 15 and 25, respectively.

Former Gator [autotag]Brenton Cox Jr[/autotag]. was dismissed from he team but is still ranked No. 18 among outside linebackers. Finally, [autotag]Trey Dean III[/autotag] and [autotag]Rashad Torrence II[/autotag] are ranked Nos. 27 and 28, respectively, among safeties by Kiper.

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Five Gators taken in CBS Sports’ latest 7-round NFL mock draft

Five Gators get the call in this full seven-round mock draft from CBS Sports.

The 88th edition of the 2023 NFL draft kicks off on April 27 and runs until April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri, which means the hyped-up spring event is quickly drawing near. The annual amateur draft festivities are among the most-followed storylines at the end of the month, culminating in the start of 259 professional football careers.

Given the fanfare that surrounds the league’s long-running tradition, the sports media has been frothing at the mouth with its respective mock drafts — including CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards, who unveiled his full seven-round projections for every pick in the draft on Friday. Among those selected were five former Florida Gators who look to represent the Orange and Blue at the next level.

The first Gator off Edwards’ board is standout quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag], who is selected at No. 5 overall by the Seattle Seahawks. Here is what Edwards had to offer on the Gainesville native’s draft prospects.

Seattle restarts the financial clock at quarterback with the selection of Anthony Richardson. He is afforded the time to grow and develop as a professional under the guidance of Geno Smith before being inserted into the starting role.

The second Florida alumnus selected is offensive lineman [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag], who is taken with the No. 19 pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Get a gander at Edwards’ take on the bruiser from the bayou.

Tampa Bay invested in its offensive line for years but the unit needs some attention after the past few offseasons. The Buccaneers have at least two long-term pieces to build around with Tristan Wirfs and now O’Cyrus Torrence.

Next up is defensive lineman [autotag]Gervon Dexter[/autotag], who gets the call in the second round at No. 63 by the Kansas City Chiefs, followed by offensive lineman [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] in the sixth round at No. 189 overall to the Los Angeles Rams. Lastly, there is talented but oft-injured linebacker [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] who goes a few spots later to the New England Patriots at No. 192.

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15 late-round prospects Broncos could target in 2023 NFL draft

Here’s a quick look at 15 late-round prospects the Broncos could target in the 2023 NFL draft.

The Denver Broncos do not have first- or second-round picks to use in the 2023 NFL draft, so in order to have a great class (barring a trade up), general manager George Paton will have to find gems in the mid and late rounds of the draft.

The Broncos currently have five draft picks: Nos. 67 and 68 overall in the third round, No. 108 in the fourth, No. 139 in the fifth and No. 195 in the sixth. Denver does not currently hold a pick in the seventh round, but the club might acquire additional picks through draft-day trades.

Paton has made six trades through his first two drafts with the Broncos, trading down four times. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him trade down again this year to add more picks.

Today, we’re taking a quick look at 15 prospects that Denver could target in the fifth, sixth and seventh (late rounds) of the 2023 NFL draft.

Florida LB Ventrell Miller reportedly visited Jaguars

Florida linebacker Ventrell Miller reportedly visited the Jaguars on Wednesday.

The Jacksonville Jaguars don’t have much of a need at linebacker, but opted to take a closer look at Florida’s Ventrell Miller by bringing him in for a visit, according to Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network.

What isn’t completely clear is whether Miller was brought in as one of the Jaguars’ 30 pre-draft visits, or if he was at TIAA Bank Field as part of a local prospects day.

Miller is a 6’0, 232-pound linebacker who spent six years with the Gators after sitting out his freshman year due to a suspension and most of the 2021 season due to an injury. At 24 years old, he’s one of the older prospects in the draft class.

On the field, Miller was credited with 240 career tackles, 7.5 sacks, one interceptions, and two forced fumbles. ESPN’s Jordan Reid recently ranked Miller as the 267th best prospect in the class.

Last year, the Jaguars drafted linebacker Devin Lloyd in the first round and double-dipped at the position by taking Chad Muma in the third round. Both players spent time in the starting lineup during their rookie seasons alongside free agent addition and defensive team captain Foye Oluokun.

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Broncos met with LB Ventrell Miller ahead of NFL draft

The Broncos met with Florida linebacker Ventrell Miller ahead of the 2023 NFL draft.

The Denver Broncos recently met with Florida linebacker Ventrell Miller ahead of the 2023 NFL draft, according to The Draft Network’s Ryan Fowler.

Miller (6-0, 232 pounds) was suspended for his freshman season in 2017 and he missed all but two games in 2021 due to injury. His redshirt eligibility combined with an extra year of COVID-19 eligibility resulted in Miller spending six years with the Gators. He is now a 24-year-old prospect entering the NFL draft.

Miller totaled 74 tackles (8.5 behind the line), two pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble in 11 games last fall. Before that, he totaled 86 tackles (7.5 behind the line) and 3.5 sacks in 2020, his best season.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has compared Miller to B.J. Goodson, who was a fourth-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft. Miller is projected to be a fifth-round prospect in this year’s class. The Broncos currently hold pick No. 139 overall in the fifth round (view Denver’s complete order of picks here).

The 2023 NFL draft will be held in Kansas City from April 27-29.

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Giants met with Florida LB Ventrell Miller

The New York Giants recently held a virtual meeting with Florida linebacker Ventrell Miller, who is a projected Day 3 pick.

The New York Giants met virtually with Florida linebacker Ventrell Miller on April 10th.

Miller is a projected Day 3 prospect in the 2023 NFL draft who spent five years as a linebacker for the Gators. During that extended stint, Miller recorded 238 tackles (23.5 for a loss) and 7.5 sacks. He had his best season most recently in 2022 where he recorded 74 tackles (8.5 for a loss), two passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.

Standing at 6-foot and 232 pounds, Miller has decent size for a linebacker. NFL Next Gen stats rank him as the 18th-best linebacker in the class. This has been a position of note for Big Blue in recent years as they have failed to get much production from the interior.

Constant lapses in coverage and missed tackles from linebackers have caused the Giants many issues in recent history. An experienced linebacker like Miller to add to the rotation could help Wink Martindale and his defense get over the hump.

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2023 NFL draft: Wisconsin OLB Nick Herbig visits Seahawks

The Seahawks continue to be linked with linebackers in the draft.

There is a bit of a theme brewing for the Seattle Seahawks in the weeks leading up to the draft, and it involves the linebacker position. Seattle did their best to improve their linebacking corps during free agency by signing Devin Bush and bringing Bobby Wagner back into the fold, but they’re clearly focusing on continuing to add.

The Seahawks continue to be linked with linebackers in the draft. They recently met with Florida linebacker Ventrell Miller, and USA TODAY’s Draft Wire also mocked Arkansas’ Drew Sanders to Seattle as well.

Now the Seahawks are meeting with another linebacker: Wisconsin’s Nick Herbig. This is a player who can potentially fill one of two needs as either an off the ball linebacker or perhaps depth for the pass rush in a 3-4 defense.

During his three years with the Badgers, Herbig recorded 21 sacks with 11 coming last year. His NFL draft profile raves about his athleticism, but does mention he is lacking some weight and strength to impact the pass rush this year. However, he could perhaps make an impact elsewhere.

“He would benefit from a year in the weight room to get ready for NFL edge work, but he might have the instincts and athletic ability for consideration as an off-ball linebacker.”

Colts held virtual pre-draft meeting with Florida LB Ventrell Miller

The Colts reportedly held a virtual meeting with Florida LB Ventrell Miller.

The Indianapolis Colts reportedly held a virtual meeting with Florida linebacker Ventrell Miller ahead of the 2023 NFL draft.

While the linebacker position isn’t a massive area of need for the Colts, it’s rare for general manager Chris Ballard to pass on the position at some point over the course of the draft weekend.

According to Aaron Wilson of Click2Houston, the Colts are one of many teams meeting with Miller virtually.

Miller projects as a Day 3 pick and likely a two-down linebacker in the NFL. He brings intriguing size and demeanor to the middle of the field, but there are questions about his athletic ability to be a three-down linebacker.

It’s likely the Colts held the virtual meeting to get a better idea of Miller’s off-field characteristics. He was suspended twice during his time at Florida. One was for being charged with minor possession of marijuana while the other came due to being a part of a credit card scheme that involved several Florida players.

Miller will be 24 years old by the time his rookie season starts, but the Colts have at least shown some sliver of interest in the former Gator.

We’ll be tracking the Colts’ reported interest in the 2023 draft class so be sure to keep up with latest updates via our tracker.

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2023 NFL draft: Seahawks met with CSU LB Dequan Jackson

Jackson comes with five years of experience and three as a team captain.

The Seahawks have reached the home stretch ahead of the 2023 NFL draft, beginning two weeks from Thursday.

At this time of year teams are refining their draft boards and meeting with potential picks. The latest reported prospect meeting comes via Justin Melo at the Draft Network, who says Seattle met with Colorado State linebacker Dequan Jackson at his pro day.

At his pro day Jackson measured in at 6-foot-2, 225 pounds and ran a 4.65 forty. He also posted a 33.5″ vertical, a 9’11” broad jump and 15 bench press reps.

Jackson comes with five years of experience and three as a team captain. In 47 games with the Rams he totaled 4.5 sacks and 322 combined tackles, including 27 for a loss. He peaked last season with 100.

The Seahawks have also reportedly met with two other inside linebacker prospects from the 2023 NFL draft class so far: Daiyan Henley from Washington State as well as Ventrell Miller from Florida.

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