When the Jacksonville Jaguars opened their flood of Day 3 draft picks with an off-ball linebacker, fans and analysts raised eyebrows.
But for the Jaguars, the No. 121 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft was always destined to be Florida linebacker Ventrell Miller -- a tough-nosed, physical inside linebacker who fits the skill set of other inside linebackers on the roster.
"For one, you know, you can never have too many good players. So, you know, he's a guy we saw on film and he showed some physicalness," Jaguars inside linebackers coach Tony Gilbert said at the end of the offseason.
"Everybody we talked to, they say he got a dog in him. So, you know, we liked that about him."
A Florida native, Miller redshirted in 2017 after being suspended. He then appeared in 13 games in 2018, recording 15 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, one pass deflection, and one interception.
Miller started 11 games in 2019, recording 55 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and two pass deflections. He then started 10 games in 2020, leading Florida in tackles with 88, along with 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
Miller played in just two games in 2021 due to a torn bicep injury, but he returned in 2022 as a team captain, recording 74 tackles in 10 starts and totaling 8.5 tackles for loss, two pass deflections, and two forced fumbles.
An offseason foot surgery limited what Miller could do during OTAs and minicamp, however, and it is his recovery from the injury that will be key to determining his role on the roster.
"So, you know, we got a crowded room so he's got to come in and for one he got to get healthy, of course. But then he has got to come in and just be real productive in camp."
The crowded room includes veteran linebacker and the NFL's leading tackler Foyesade Oluokun, along with fourth-year linebacker Shaquille Quarterman and second-year linebackers Devin Lloyd and Chad Muma. While the Jaguars know Miller is an experienced and mature player in his own right, it is the presence of an experienced linebacker room that could make all of the difference.
"I think is great for him because he gets to see guys and do how they do their work, and how they do it professionally. Because Foye to Devin and Chad to Shaq Quarterman to Caleb Johnson. He gets to see guys do it the right way," Gilbert said.
"And I know for him as a young guy, you know, for one, you got an older guy in Foye and Shaq and Caleb. Then you got younger guys who went through the growing pains of being a rookie last year. He can lean on all those guys. So I think it's gonna be really good for his with development."
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