When the New Orleans Saints used the 2023 NFL Draft’s 71st pick on TCU running back Kendre Miller, it wasn’t a shock. But hearing how the Saints could use Miller might be.
The 5-foot-11, 215-pound Miller was mostly deployed as a first- and second-down runner for the Horned Frogs, and he did it well, to the tune of 1,399 rush yards and 17 touchdowns on only 224 carries. That’s the role many talent evaluators envisioned him playing in the NFL, too.
The Saints, however, appear to have different ideas. Miller recently told the team’s official website that despite being underused as a receiver in college (29 catches in 33 games), he believes he can handle a receiving role — even such as how the Saints have utilized Alvin Kamara, who has 430 catches in his NFL career.
“It was something I never got to show (at TCU),” Miller said. “The coaches here, they’ve got me on the Jugs (machine) and the tennis ball machines. They were like, we knew it was in you, that’s why we drafted you, we know you can catch. Just showing everybody else in the world my ability will be a big thing for me, and I’m ready to get out there and compete.
“How they use (Kamara) is kind of unique, and watching film every day, we watch a bunch of clips of him. How they use him in the pass game, that’s pretty cool. I feel like I can step in and pretty much do the same thing.”