New England Patriots
At 5-foot-10, 221 pounds, Miller runs with power and has a low center of gravity.
Jam Miller’s first name is actually Jamarion, but he prefers to go by “Jam” for simplicity purposes. AP Photo/Vasha Hunt
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The Patriots selected Alabama running back Jam Miller in the 7th round of this year’s draft.
He’s an explosive athlete who was a consensus top-10 running back in the country during his senior year of high school. ESPN had him ranked No. 8, and 247Sports ranked him at No. 4.
The Tyler, Texas native initially committed to play college football for Texas but flipped his commitment to Alabama in November 2021.
With a 4.42-second 40-yard dash time at the NFL Scouting combine, Miller possesses tremendous straight-line speed for a back of his side. However, there are limitations in his game that hampered his production and made him available in the seventh round.
Here are four things to know about the newest Patriots running back.
“Jam” is for Jamarion
He is officially listed as Jam Miller on the Patriots’ roster, but his full first name is Jamarion.
According to Tide 100.9 FM, a radio station in Alabama, Miller told reporters that going by “Jam” was his way of simplifying things so people would stop messing up his name.
“Most people don’t know the right way to say my first name,” Miller said. “So I just said, ‘I’m going to go with Jam.’”
He’s fast for a power back
According to NFL.com, Miller had the fifth-highest athleticism score among running backs at this year’s combine, largely due to his 40-yard dash time. His marks in the broad jump and vertical leap were less impressive.
At 5-foot-10, 221 pounds, Miller runs with power and has a low center of gravity. He’s not super quick side-to-side, but once he’s going, he can move pretty fast.
That didn’t translate to many big plays, though. His longest run last season went for 24 yards. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry and scored 13 touchdowns in four years at Alabama.
“Miller has pro-caliber size but while some runners get what is blocked, Miller didn’t always take what was there for him,” NFL analyst Lance Zierlein said. “He’s a segmented runner with adequate power but lacks the vision, burst and decisiveness to rip through creases inside. He’s a hard runner and can get tough yards after contact here and there.”
Pass-protection has been a weakness
Despite his size, Miller has struggled in pass protection at times for Alabama.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler mentioned missed assignments and issues sustaining blocks among his weaknesses in that area.
After Drake Maye took a combined 68 sacks during the regular season and postseason, pass-protection remains a key area where New England needs to get better across the board.
A big part of the reason why Rhamondre Stevenson was able to stay on the field despite his fumbling issues last season was because of his pass-protection skills, head coach Mike Vrabel said.
How Miller holds up in the pass-protection game will be something to watch for during the summer.
Upside on special teams, with a chance to compete for RB3
Miller played a lot on special teams during his college career.
He didn’t return any kicks, but his speed could be useful for chasing down opponents. He also has the speed and power to get out in front and block on special teams.
Brugler said scouts are “bullish” on Miller’s special teams skill set. The Patriots, over the years, have shown that they don’t mind investing in key special teamers such as Matthew Slater and Brenden Schooler.
But first, Miller will have to compete for a spot this summer. TreVeyon Henderson’s performance put him in the conversation for Rookie of the Year. Stevenson was productive once his fumbling issues subsided.
With Lan Larrison and Terrell Jennings, among others, fighting for the third running back spot, there should be room for competition in Foxborough.
Khari A. Thompson
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
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