Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
We’re counting down the days until the Panthers kick off their 2019 season, and there are 50 to go.
We’re 50 days away from the Carolina Panthers 2019 season opener, so that means today’s countdown piece is devoted to No. 50 on the roster — linebacker Christian Miller.
Christian Miller, Linebacker
Bio
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 245 lbs
Age: 23 years
College: Alabama
NFL experience: Rookie
Christian Miller was selected by the Panthers in the fourth round (No. 115 overall) in the 2019 NFL Draft in an effort to add more pass rushers to the roster.
Here’s a brief summary of his college career, courtesy of his profile on the team’s website:
Four-year player from Alabama. In 2018, totaled 36 tackles, including 11.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and team-high 12 hurries. Battled injuries during junior season, playing in just four total games after suffering an arm injury in the season opener, totaling six tackles. Totaled 16 tackles as a sophomore in 2016. Played in 12 games as a redshirt freshman in 2015, but did not record any statistics.
The Panthers had a less than ideal pass rush in 2018 and have attempted to solve that issue by selecting two edge rushers within the first four rounds of the draft and adding Bruce Irvin in free agency, but even though Miller was specifically drafted to solve a problem he may not see a lot of action during his rookie year. The Panthers have said numerous times that they plan to use a hybrid defense this year, and the amount of time spent in a 3-4 alignment will dictate how much Miller sees the field.
If the Panthers have fully switched to a 3-4 defense and are just being coy with the media, we’ll probably see Miller a good bit as a rotational pass rusher, but if they are just running a hybrid defense with a few 3-4 looks spread out over the course of a game then Miller will likely spend some time on the inactive list this year.
Even if he spends some time on the inactive list in 2019, the good news about Christian Miller is that he has a lot of potential to be a good NFL player, according to our friends at Roll ‘Bama Roll:
He was by far the most polished of a thin Alabama edge-rushing group. And, when he got injured in the second half of the Orange Bowl, his impact was immediate: he had disguised a lot of sins in a rebuilding Alabama defense. He’s not the pure athlete that a guy like Terrell Lewis may be, but lacking elite speed, that required that he develop a lot of tools that you don’t necessarily see in a college player. That he is not a one-trick pony relying on raw speed, it has made him a better player than most college edge rushers who test off the charts at the Combine. That potential alone makes him one of the most intriguing prospects of the draft.
Unless something drastic happens during training camp and/or the preseason, Miller will safely make the 53-man roster. The only questions will be how much playing time he gets during his rookie year, and what he’s able to do in the time he’s on the field.
What do you expect from Miller this season, Panthers fans? Do you think he will see a lot of playing time, or will he be gradually included in the game plan as the season goes on?
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