RB Lamar Miller, Miami Dolphins

HT: 5-11, WT: 212, Born: 4-25-1991, College: Miami (FL), Drafted: Round 4

2013 Projections

Average draft position

Current as of June 11th. [Full ADP list]

Overall: C Newton (40), D Sproles (41), Lamar Miller (42), J Nelson (43), W Welker (44)
Position: D Wilson (37-RB20), D Sproles (41-RB21), Lamar Miller (42 - RB22), R Mathews (51-RB23), V Ballard (59-RB24)
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PPR Average draft position

Current as of June 11th. [Full PPR ADP list]

Overall: T Brady (43), C Newton (44), Lamar Miller (45), H Nicks (46), J Nelson (47)
Position: F Gore (36-RB20), D Wilson (37-RB21), Lamar Miller (45 - RB22), R Mathews (51-RB23), L Bell (58-RB24)
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Outlook

Lamar Miller struggled to get on the field in 2012, but now that Reggie Bush is in Detroit, Miller should see a huge uptick in carries. Daniel Thomas has been lackluster at best and rookie Mike Gillislee some issues with patience and decisiveness to work on so Miller should get first crack at lead back. The coaching staff feels that Miller fits Joe Philbin's zone-run scheme even better than Bush did and the Miller's sure handed receiving and solid pass protection makes him a three down back.

Latest News

Dolphins | Daniel Thomas seeing some first-team reps (Thu Jun 13, 11:04 AM) - Miami Dolphins RB Lamar Miller has spent all of camp as the starting running back, but RB Daniel Thomas has seen a few first-team repetitions.

Our View: That may be a sign of where Thomas is at in the competition behind Miller. Thomas is competing with rookie Mike Gillislee (Florida) to be the primary backup in 2013. He's struggled to impress during his pro career and some see 2013 as a make or break season for Thomas.
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Dolphins | Lamar Miller clear favorite for RB job (Fri Jun 7, 06:47 PM) - Miami Dolphins RB Lamar Miller is the clear favorite to win the starting running back job during training camp.

Our View: No surprise here. Miller has the ability to be a top 15 RB this year if he stays healthy and plays up to his potential. That makes him a value at his current ADP of RB23. Daniel Thomas and rookie Mike Gillislee (Florida) will compete for the backup job in training camp.
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2013 Schedule

2012 Game Summaries

Week 2 - Miller unseated Daniel Thomas for the backup role with an impressive performance. Showing quick feet, elusiveness, and mixing in a straight-ahead running style, he is the perfect compliment to Bush. If Bush reverts to “dancing”, Miller doesn’t seem to have that in him. He was similar to Stevan Ridley in that he attacks the line of scrimmage, and makes his cuts in confined spaces without wasting much forward momentum. Miller’s TD in the fourth quarter was on a cutback to the left, and he simply ran toward open space and waltzed into the endzone. Miller is going to be a significant contributor to this team in 2012 and beyond.

Week 3 - After Miller’s impressive Week 2 performance, fans were expecting to see him early-on. However, it took a Bush injury and a Thomas’ fumble before Miller received another opportunity. Miller demonstrated the same combination of quick feet and elusiveness that we saw last week. In the third quarter, Miller broke off an impressive 22-yard run off left tackle. If Thomas continues to fumble, Miller stands as the beneficiary. If Bush misses any time, Miller should receive an increased workload.

Week 4 - Outside of one rush for seven yards, Miller rarely ever was given a chance to make a play by his offensive line. The Cardinals defense was too overwhelming.

Week 6 - Miller was rarely on the field and received just one touch, a run play that was stuffed in the backfield. In addition, there was a holding penalty on the play which kept Miller out of the box score.

Week 10 - Miller saw an increase in snaps after Reggie Bush was benched for fumbling, and later dropping a pass. After seeing very few snaps over the last few weeks, in addition to Bush’s struggles, Miller would have likely seen an increased workload this week, after Miami fell behind by so much. He’s flashed his playmaking talent before, and while he didn’t set the world on fire in this one, he did show off a bit of his wiggle on an impressive 9-yard run, in addition to showing off his ability to rack up yards after contact, fighting for extra yards on one of his two catches. Although he won’t have very much of an impact in 2012, he will be a name to watch in 2013.

Week 14 - Miller was as unsuccessful as Thomas in the running game. He often tried to bounce the run to the outside, but the defense held the corner and Miller couldn’t get beyond the line of scrimmage. He did have a good catch and run on a screen, following his blockers and breaking tackles en route to a first down. Miller also saw more snaps than Thomas, even though the rookie’s pass protection was suspect as times.

Week 15 - Daniel Thomas limped off the field after a single carry against Jacksonville, which opened the door for Miller to have seven touches in relief of Reggie Rush. Miller did not get the same level of run blocking from the offensive line and his statistics reflect it. Miller converted a third down with his lone target in the passing game, but was generally stuffed on the ground. His first run was his best of the day, a four-yard jaunt including spin move on the first defender. Miller is one of the more intriguing young running backs to monitor this offseason as Reggie Bush is a free agent and Daniel Thomas has done little to be viewed as the lead back in 2013 if Bush were to leave Miami.

Week 16 - Miller didn’t receive the carries Bush did, but still managed to outgain the starter and average 7.3 yards per carry. Quite slippery, with blazing quickness, Miller’s longest run went for 28 yards on a read option. Taking the handoff from Tannehill, Miller found a massive hole on the left side and easily turned up field. Miller turned on the jets and just missed breaking a much longer run as he unnecessarily slowed to “drive” a blocking offensive lineman through traffic. Despite the obvious speed, Miller didn’t struggle to carry between the tackles. Outside of his long of 28 yards, seven of ten carries went right at the interior of the Bills’ defensive line with only one bounce outside from Miller. Miller looked every bit as explosive as Bush too, and it is hard to imagine Miller doesn’t make letting pending free agent Bush go in the offseason a much easier decision.

Week 17 - As a possible audition for an increased role in 2013, Miller received eight touches against New England to close out his rookie season. With little room to navigate on the ground, Miller did manage one rushing attempt that highlighted his potential. He juked an initial defender at the line of scrimmage to gain four yards in the first half. In the passing game, Miller saw more space, catching both of his targets, gaining 10+ yards on each reception. After seeing minimal involvement in the middle of the season, Miller closed with 28 touches over the final four weeks of his rookie year. At nearly five yards per carry, Miller will be one of the young running backs to watch in the offseason if Reggie Bush does not return to Miami in free agency.