Former Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller is in the process of becoming an NFL receiver. So far, he’s seeing only one big difference.
“Honestly, the speed of the game, I don’t think it’s that much different,” Miller told reporters on Monday. “The only thing that’s different is pretty much the coverage schemes, the techniques they play in the league. Just different from college. . . . Just knowing the coverage, how they kind of disguise it -- the linebacker inside, the safety comes down -- stuff like that. It helps a lot.”
Miller also has noticed something else about the NFL version of the game.
“Just coming from college and going to a big playbook like this, it took time,” Miller said. “It took the rookie minicamp and OTAs to actually understand the concepts and the formations, the whole terminology, the words. It took a little toll on us when we first got here but it’s starting to pick up fast.”
Another thing Miller is picking up is finding open spots in the defense.
“That’s part of coaching, too,” Miller said. “They coached me up on it throughout the whole last week and previous weeks before that. Just picking it up day in and day out helps out. Playing quarterback ties in with that, too.”
The Texans saw enough potential in Miller as a receiver to make him a third-round draft pick, and there’s no need to rush him because the Texans have a solid complement of pass-catchers. If Miller approaches his ceiling, the Texans could have one of the best four-man units in the league, with Miller complementing DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller, and Jaelen Strong.
