The Chicago Bears currently hold the No. 25 pick in the NFL Draft, which gets underway Thursday, but could a Georgia Bulldog fit their plans if they make a trade?
The Bears have a total of seven picks in the NFL Draft, but GM Ryan Poles could try to put together some more draft capital by trading that selection. He could also go the other direction, using the team’s three picks within the top-60 to potentially make a jump up the board in the first round to grab a higher-end talent.
Regardless of which direction the Bears go, they could still land a solid defensive lineman in the draft’s early stages, and Georgia defensive tackle Christen Miller could fit that bill, according to NBC Chicago’s Lou Canellis.
Miller, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 321 points, is a classic early-down defender, serving as a reliable run stopper and an attractive option for a team that was among the worst in the league in terms of rushing yards allowed last season.
Especially with the departure of Andrew Billings to the Arizona Cardinals, Miller could be an attractive option to the Bears, especially if they choose not to make their selection at No. 25.
Miller was a redshirt junior who started all 14 games for the Bulldogs last season, with four tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in his final collegiate season.
There’s been plenty of debate over where he’d end up in the draft picture, with most experts agreeing he could be an early second round pick or even a late first-rounder depending on how teams view his upside.
According to a scouting profile via NFL.com, Miller could stand to benefit from adding more muscle to his frame, which would help him become a bigger force up the middle of the field and give him another strength to go with his strong football IQ.
He will also need to work on his hand work and on his ability to cope with double teams according to scouting profiles, with teams likely testing his lateral quickness and speed in blocking formations.
Cannellis and former Bears head coach Dave Wannstedt will have all the latest happenings from the NFL Draft throughout the week on NBC Chicago, and tune into their “Countdown to the Draft” special, airing at 6:30 p.m. Thursday on NBC’s Streaming News channel.
