FantasyPros will be taking a look at early NFL Draft scouting reports before the Combine in February. Here’s a look at Georgia defensive lineman Christen Miller.
2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Christen Miller
Christen Miller (DL – Georgia)
6-foot-4 | 310 Pounds
Background
Christen Miller is a Georgia native and four-star recruit who played sparingly as a freshman and ended up taking a redshirt season in 2022.
Miller rotated in for 209 snaps the following year (14-4.0-1.0). He became a starter the next season (27-3.5-1.5 on 385 snaps), a role he reprised in 2025 (20-3.0-1.5 on 403 snaps).
Positives
Well-built two-year starter for a major program. Typically lines up as a one-technique on Georgia’s four-man defensive lines, but you’ll see Miller on the end of some three-man lines as well as a traditional five-technique. Shows good suddenness out of his stance. Has adequate knee-bend, which is important for a taller lineman.
Miller has good lateral movement skills to scrape down the line in the run game. Does a nice job of getting extension and being active with his hands to keep defenders from getting into his frame when reading and reacting; shows nice power in his hands to discard blockers. Has solid anchor strength to hold the point of attack when run at.
The Georgia prospect has a solid motor to work through the snap. Length gives him a solid tackling radius. Georgia left him on the field for passing downs. Can generate some pressure as a one-gap rusher in the passing game due to his suddenness and his impressive contact balance when slipping through gaps. Seems to have good flexibility in his hips and ankles when bending around the edge on stunts/twists.
Negatives
A little bit taller than your typical nose tackle; some teams may prefer a squatter build there. Awareness and recognition skills are still a work in progress. Miller can be lured away from the play direction a bit too often. Can occasionally commit early when two-gapping, causing him to get sealed away from the play direction.
Would like to see Miller be a bit more aggressive about attacking opposing blockers; tends to move laterally as he sifts through trash rather than firing out of his stance and attacking blockers with his bull rush. Didn’t make a ton of plays in opposing backfields, in part because of his responsibilities in the Bulldogs’ read-and-react scheme, but also because of his developing recognition skills and the lack of emphasis on his bull rush.
Summary
A player with the type of size, strength and movement skills teams look for up front, but who is still a work in progress after spending four years in college, two of them as a starter.
While Miller has the tools to develop into an effective two-gap run defender with some passing-down value, that will depend on further refinement of his play anticipation/key-reading skills, and it’d be nice to see him work the bull rush more. Would probably fit best as a five-technique in a two-gap odd front. Tools will get him second-day looks.
Projection: Round 3
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