Saints Draft Kendre Miller 71st Overall
Round 3 is moving along, and the Saints didn't have to trade up to make their selection at No. 71. They used it to take TCU running back Kendre Miller.
QUICK THOUGHTS: Running back was definitely an area the Saints were going to address, as they expect Alvin Kamara to be suspended at some point this season. That's also going to be a short-term thing, as Mickey Loomis alluded to. The team added Jamaal Williams in free agency, and also has Eno Benjamin on the roster. Needless to say, their depth is leaps and bounds better than what it was last year.
Miller can be a very effective North-South runner and has excellent instincts you'd want to see from a running back. He may not excel as a receiver, but he's definitely going to be someone that can pick up some extra yardage after contact. He's strong inside the tackles, makes defenders miss a lot.
Draft Profile Notes (from The Draft Bible)
Kendre Miller does and has a lot of what teams look for in a running back prospect. To start, he has great size for the position, at 6’ 220 lbs. Miller’s identity as a running back is a downhill runner is evident by his ability to gain yards after contact. He is one of the more elusive runners in this draft; every tackler that he evades leads to no wasted energy, as it routinely creates more yardage for Miller. His greatest skill as a runner might be his jump cuts, which might be the best in this draft. They are always well-timed and result in a defender being avoided. Miller has a deep bag when it comes to his ability to avoid tacklers; he loves to use a stiff arm for those that try to come in weak to tackle him. Miller will turn to spin moves when tacklers try to hit him high in the open field. Despite being above-average size for a running back, Miller can run with the best of them when he gets open space and is a threat to break plays loose with great straight-line speed. Miller is a very technical runner that demonstrates dedication put to his craft every time he steps onto the field.
KEY NEEDS: WR, LB, S, OL
Remaining Saints Picks
- Round 4, No. 115
- Round 5, No. 146
- Round 5, No. 165 (from PHI)
- Round 7, No. 227
- Round 7, No. 257 (compensatory)
