Kendre Miller does indeed have that dog in him. The New Orleans Saints running back laid out his intentions after being picked by the team in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft at No. 71 overall, and he’s thinking big. With all due respect to Alvin Kamara, Miller says he’s coming for his spot on top of the Saints depth chart.
“I don’t sit too well at backup,” Miller told WWL Radio. “Even though I respect Kamara and everything he got for the Saints, and everything he did, but I’m coming for that No. 1.”
That’s tall-talking for a 20-year-old rookie (and it prompted Deuce McAllister to cut in and advise the “Young grasshopper” to slow down and be patient), but he’s plenty qualified. Miller powered TCU to a conference title and national championship game appearance with his high-powered style of play, rushing for 1,399 yards and scoring 17 touchdown runs in just 14 games. He needs to continue to develop as a pass-catcher and pass-protector, but Miller has done well in that phase on a limited sample size.
It’s something he’s already working to improve on: “I knew that was a big deal, because Coach (Sonny) Dykes, they like to throw the football (at TCU). So I know I had to work on my catching ability even though I’m very confident in my abilities.”
So he doesn’t lack for confidence. Miller is going to be limited over the summer as he continues to recover from a December knee injury, but he’s expected to be full-go in time for training camp. The Saints are suddenly looking very deep at running back between Kamara, Miller, and their splashy free agent signing Jamaal Williams.
