The Chicago Bears invested heavily in Anthony Miller by trading up for him. Analytically, it makes a ton of sense for a Matt Nagy offense
When thinking about what Matt Nagy wants to bring to the offensive side of the ball it seems as though we all understand his main principles. He wants to get the ball out of his quarterback’s hands quickly. He wants to use motions and window dressing to set up space in the short passing game, and he wants yards after the catch.
According to Pro Football Focus, everything described in what Nagy needs from his wide receivers is everything that can describe Anthony Miller. In terms of yards per route, he ranked fifth in the country. He gets the ball and he produces.
Miller is a stud after the catch. He led the nation in screen passes last season. Miller forced 18 missed tackles on 96 receptions last season and 6.9 yards after the catch per reception. These are all elite marks.
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Lastly, he is a player who can move in and out of the slots. An underrated factor in which Taylor Gabriel brings to the offense is his versatility to move around from the slot to the outside. Miller did most of his damage on the outside but was more efficient in the slot.
In the slot, he ranked sixth in the country in yards per route. Also, despite not living in the slot he ranked 14th in slot yardage and 24th in slot receptions.
There are some questions with his hands, as he ranks 128th in the country in drop rate. However, his deep target success may have to do with that. In terms of deep pass catch rate, he is 74th overall. However, in deep pass yards, he ranks 12th. The team goes to Miller deep, a lot. He drops some, sure, but when he connects, his yards after the catch and everything that makes him so impactful comes into play to create even bigger plays.
Still, this jives with the overall philosophy of Nagy. Miller is versatile. Miller does well with the ball in his hands, and he creates separation to demand the ball in the short passing game. He is a Matt Nagy selection all the way.