30-Days, 30 Prospects: DAY 30 – Southwestern Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Aubrey Miller Jr.

Jackson State Linebacker Aubrey Miller Jr. just might be a small-school gem in the later rounds of the draft. After not getting the desired playing time at the University of Missouri, Miller transferred in 2021 to Jackson State where he had a breakout season, tallying 109 total tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, and an impressive 6.5 sacks. This earned him the All-Southwestern Athletic Conference 1st-Team honors. He followed this performance his final year with 105 total tackles, four forced fumbles, and two sacks, earning the SWAC Defensive Player of the Year Award.

Miller is an excellent linebacker, displaying the ability to effectively defend the run. In addition, he is excellent at the middle linebacker position, with his game being highlighted with exceptional intuition and ability to find the ball in traffic. Moreover, Miller has no issue with “laying the hat” on any given play, as he violently disengages from blockers and finishes plays with authority. Versatility is also found in his game, as many experts believe that he would make an effective 4-3 weak-side linebacker, as he is great at setting the edge against the run while displaying excellent sideline-to-sideline speed.

One of the weaknesses from Miller is that he lacks the speed to consistently keep up with tight ends in coverage. His game is also seen as very limited, as he is shown to thrive in only a zone-heavy scheme.

All in all, Miller would be an excellent depth piece and situational linebacker under Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham’s system, as currently constructed. If the Raiders select Miller, he will most definitely have an uphill climb to make the 53-man roster come Week-1, however, there seems to be an excellent fit for Miller on this defense in obvious rushing situations. Look for the Raiders to pick up the phone on Day-3 to select Miller at #214, #220, or #231-overall.