2016 NFL Draft Patriots Profile: Braxton Miller
2016 NFL Draft Patriots Profile: Braxton Miller
Welcome to another edition of our 2016 NFL Draft Patriots Profile series in which we take a closer look at a prospect the New England Patriots may be keen on signing. Next up is Ohio State wide receiver Braxton Miller.
According to DraftInsider.net’s Tony Pauline, the New England Patriots are one of the teams sniffing at the possibility of drafting Braxton Miller in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Told right now the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots & KC Chiefs like Braxton Miller/WR/Ohio State in round two.
— Tony Pauline (@TonyPauline) January 28, 2016
If Miller is standing there when the Patriots are finally on the clock in the second round, Bill Belichick must take him. Imagine how scary the Patriots’ offense would be with a player like Miller playing alongside Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, Rob Gronkowski and Dion Lewis.
Frankly, the Patriots’ offense suffered without a consistent playmaker not named Edelman or Amendola or Gronk. Brandon LaFell never fully shook the case of the dropsies that he debuted with in Week 7 against the New York Jets, and while Keshawn Martin is a solid player, he’s not exactly tearing defenses apart.
Miller would have plenty of desirable opportunities to display his open field running ability in such a loaded offense. The problem is, the Patriots just aren’t very good at drafting and grooming wide receivers.
Deion Branch and Julian Edelman are pretty much the only success Bill Belichick has experienced in the wide receiver drafting department. Most of the time, wideouts taken in the draft by the Patriots don’t pan out—just look at Bethel Johnson, Chad Jackson and Taylor Price.
But you can’t score if you don’t shoot. Who knows, maybe Miller is the next quarterback-turned-wideout to become a star, following in the footsteps of Edelman.
If nothing else, the selection of Miller in the second round would provide some excitement for a Patriots’ fan base that is being deprived of a first round pick.
In case you missed them, here are recent editions of our 2016 NFL Draft Patriots Profile series:
OT Joe Haeg, North Dakota State
Next: A free agent from each team the Pats would love to sign
Stay tuned for more installments in the series as the 2016 NFL Draft nears.