Penn State Football: Shareef Miller adds to insane DE depth for Eagles
Recently drafted Penn State football defensive end Shareef Miller gives the Philadelphia Eagles just another pass rusher to add to the puzzle.
During the Philadelphia Eagles’ super bowl run in 2017, the defense got after the quarterback at a high rate. They compiled 38 sacks in 16 regular season games and continued to terrorize QBs in the postseason on their way to the franchise’s first ever super bowl win. It’s a pass rush that used multiple linemen to get to the QB. Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, Chris Long, Derek Barnett, Vinny Curry and Timmy Jernigan all contributed to that rush and now the fourth-round pick out from Penn State football, Shareef Miller, will to.
Philly continued that trend racking up 44 sacks in 2018 and looks in line to do much of the same again with the help of Miller. The three-year letterman out Penn State adds to this line’s already-ridiculous depth. Two years after the Eagles’ super bowl victory, all six of those aforementioned veterans are still in Philly as is recent addition Malik Jackson.
The depth is scary for this defense and reminiscent of pass championship defenses that used constant, fresh pressure to stifle passing attacks. Much like the 2007 New York Giants that utilized plenty of talented rushers to stop Tom Brady, this approach is much the same.
Which is why the Eagles brought in Miller, despite already carrying more than enough playmakers up front. Miller brings speed and plenty of production off the edge. He used his 4.69, 40-yard dash speed and 6-foot-4 length to get around offensive tackles in college. He rolled up 100 tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks in three years on the defense line.
Miller continued elevating his game, seeing increases in every statistical category, especially in his sophomore and junior years when he became a full-time starter. He logged 78 tackles, 26.5 tackles for loss and 13 sacks in those two seasons.
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The depth on the Eagles’ defensive line is such that he’ll probably be a rotational edge rusher in passing situations in 2019. Graham, Cox, Barnett, Jackson and etcetera’s constant pressure on early downs will open chances for Miller to get to the quarterback. He was a great value pick for the Eagles, and I have no doubt he’ll have bright moments in 2019.