All TE projections   •  Current TE rankings   •   All OAK projections   •  OAK team report   •  OAK Stats

TE Zach Miller, Oakland Raiders

HT: 6-5, WT: 255, Born: 11-12-1985, College: Arizona State, Drafted: Round 2

2008 Projections

Average draft position

Current as of June 28th. [Full ADP list]

Overall: K Jones (165), W Dunn (166), Zach Miller (167), T Henry (168), T Edwards (169)
Position: D Lee (149-TE16), L Smith (158-TE17), Zach Miller (167 - TE18), R McMichael (204-TE19), B Utecht (223-TE20)
Click here for a comparison of these players.

 Click here to go to the Zach Miller spotlight, our staff's most detailed analysis.

Best Case

Miller flew under the radar last year, ranking as the #16 fantasy tight end with several quality games over the second half of the 2007 season. He should continue to improve and should benefit by being a safety valve for inexperienced QB starter JaMarcus Russell. Miller had eight receptions in the only game Russell started last year. At 6'5", Miller has the wingspan to snatch passes that smaller sized defenders might not reach. He could crack the fantasy Top 10 tight ends this year.

Worst Case

Miller plays on a team that has gone through so many coaches, quarterbacks, and personnel changes that you never know what to expect. The Raiders have not featured great tight end production the last few years and that trend could continue again this year if the offense does not gel. If the Raiders continue to have pass protection issues, Miller could be asked to stay in and block in lieu of heading downfield as a big target for Russell.

Outlook

Miller has the chance to make strides to being one of the new vanguard of tight ends. He has size, speed, a big frame, and good hands. Playing in Oakland, he does not get a ton of press and can be had in the later rounds of most fantasy drafts. He would make a decent option for those opting to load up on RBs and WRs early and may be worthy of starting in PPR leagues or those leagues that inflate tight end scoring.

Relevant Articles

2008 Schedule

2007 Game Summaries

Week 1 - A starter as a rookie this year, McCown looked Miller's way often in this game. Miller managed three receptions for 23 yards. He also had a fumble but managed to recover it.

Week 2 - Miller was targeted four times, catching three passes for 18 yards. He was generally used as a check down option, and did not appear to be running any deep routes.

Week 3 - Miller combined with fellow tight end John Madsen to give the Browns defense matchup problems for much of the afternoon, though quarterbacks Josh McCown and Daunte Culpepper were not always successful in getting the ball to them downfield.

Week 4 - Miller caught a short pass to the left side, however the play was nullified by a defensive penalty. He was never targeted again, and was more of a blocker in a game where the Raiders were content just running the football.

Week 6 - Miller had a fairly quiet game, though he did score his first career NFL touchdown. He made a nice diving catch late in the first half, and was later seen lying down shaken up in the third quarter. He returned soon after to score the touchdown. It came on a play action pass from Daunte Culpepper on fourth down, showing the confidence the team has in the rookie tight end in a big spot.

Week 7 - The big rookie tight end, Zach Miller, was Culpepper's favorite target. He was thrown to nine times, pulling in four of those passes. He totaled 48 yards receiving and seems to be a dependable outlet for the Oakland quarterback.

Week 8 - Miller caught the only two balls thrown his way for 19 yards.

Week 9 - Miller was quiet in the loss to the Texans. He made only one catch for a short gain.

Week 10 - Miller was targeted six times, catching four passes for 43 yards to lead the Raiders.

Week 11 - Miller's first catch of the game came with just over four minutes left in the fourth quarter. He would go on to catch two more passes that totaled 25 yards.

Week 12 - Tight end Zach Miller was the only other player that Culpepper targeted. He caught each of the four passes thrown to him, but lost a fumble after one catch. He was hit by Donnie Edwards and then the Chiefs' Bennie Sapp recovered.

Week 13 - Miller and Josh McCown appeared to have a connection. Miller was targeted four times and grabbed three of the passes for 58 yards and a touchdown. His 13 yard catch in the first half was the second touchdown of the rookie's career. Miller nearly had a second touchdown as McCown overthrew an open Miller in the end zone.

Week 14 - Miller had a 25 yard reception wiped out due to a holding penalty on an offensive lineman. His only catch came on a fourth and ten play in the fourth quarter. Despite his extra effort to extend the ball, he came up one yard short and the Raiders had to turn the ball over on downs.

Week 15 - The rookie tight end caught one pass for 12 yards in the third quarter.

Week 16 - Miller was the default top target for the Oakland quarterbacks. While the wide receivers were blanketed, Miller benefited by catching half of his targets (one reception called back on penalty) including one for a touchdown.

Week 17 - Miller gave Raiders fans and fantasy owners a glimpse of what could be in store for next season. Over the second half of this year, Miller caught 27 passes for 303 yards and two touchdowns, capping his rookie campaign with a career high eight receptions for 84 yards in this game. QB JaMarcus Russell really trusted Miller in just about every conceivable situation, and (along with RB Dominic Rhodes) was Russell's' outlet each time the young quarterback got into trouble.