Chicago Bears: Teven Jenkins and Ryan Pace’s history trading up in the draft
By Evan Bruner
Chicago Bears and Ryan Pace trade up for Anthony Miller in the 2018 NFL Draft
Bears trade: 105th pick and a 2019 second-round pick for the 51st pick to take Anthony Miller
Verdict: Not a good trade
Anthony Miller had a lot of pre-draft hype, coming off a 1,462 yard, 18 touchdown season at Memphis. He was a playmaker, and the Bears thought he would be a good compliment to the recently signed Allen Robinson. The Bears did not have a second-round pick in 2018, so if they wanted Miller, they had to make a trade for him.
Miller showed glimpses but could never put it all together
Miller ended up being one of the most frustrating Bears players during his time in Chicago. He had the talent and would show flashes of a game-changing wide receiver, but they would come and go. For every great catch, there would be an awful drop to balance it out.
In 2020, rookie Darnell Mooney took Miller’s spot as the team’s second-best receiver, and Miller finished the year with only 485 receiving yards. In July, Miller was traded to the Texans for a late-round pick. He wasn’t a bad player and didn’t benefit from good quarterback play, but Miller was also a very mistake-prone player, and that made it difficult for him to ever live up to his expectations.