During Friday night’s Blue & White scrimmage at MetLife Stadium, undrafted rookie tight end Andre Miller hauled in a touchdown much to the delight of his New York Giants teammates.
But that wasn’t the first time Miller’s name popped up this summer. In fact, he’s made his presence felt with impressive frequency.
Whether Miller, who spent four college seasons at Maine, is playing tight end, fullback of H-back, he consistently stands out and makes plays. That trend continued during Sunday’s practice when Miller made a few nice blocks from the fullback position.
“He has some good quickness, and he’s got good ball skills. He was a receiver at Maine. So, to come in here and switch positions, it’s not the easiest thing,” head coach Brian Daboll told reporters of Miller. “I was around a fullback by the name of James Develin, who was one of the all-time great players to be around — smart, tough, dependable — was a defensive end. Went through all of these different leagues. And he learned to play that position at a high level, but it was a work in progress.
“I’d say that’s where Andre is. He does some things well. Some of the things he’s doing for the first time ever. It’s such a different game when you’re in the backfield and looking to block guys in the box rather than outside running against the corner, whoever it may be. So, he’s studying hard. He’s got a long way to go to continue to improve, but he has a skillset that he’s done a good job with it so far.”
Miller’s multi-positional development has been aided by veteran tight end Ricky Seals-Jones missing practice. That has allowed the rookie to receive more reps at tight end while still working at H-back and fullback alongside Jeremiah Hall.
There’s obviously a ways to go in Miller’s progression but his versatility, coachability and willingness to move around will serve him well. He’s making a strong case for a spot on the 53-man roster.
Update: Miller has suffered a broken arm and is expected to miss some time.
