Falcons Steal Confident Ex-Eagles Top Draft Pick

Shareef Miller

Justin K. Aller/Getty Images Shareef Miller of the Penn State Nittany Lions tackles La'Darius Jefferson of the Michigan State Spartans on October 13, 2018.

Shareef Miller once guaranteed to record 10 sacks in a single season for the Philadelphia Eagles. It never happened and the franchise cut ties with their former fourth-round draft pick in 2020.

The Atlanta Falcons signed Miller on Thursday and intend to convert the defensive end into a linebacker. The Penn State product saw action in just one game for the Eagles and played on two special-teams snaps. Miller bounced around between the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals last year after getting released by Philly twice. He recorded 14.5 total sacks and 100 tackles (31.5 for loss) in college.

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Pro Bowl defensive end Brandon Graham expressed confidence in Miller’s development last year during training camp. He started mentoring the 24-year-old and working out with him. It was supposed to culminate in a breakout year, but Miller was demoted to the practice squad before being cut outright on Dec. 1. He never got to see a defensive snap in Philly.

“I know he has that chip on his shoulder and I really do believe each and every day he’s going to get better,” Graham said of Miller last August. “I’m excited for him in Year 2. I’m just trying to give him as much information as I can.”

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Eagles Depth at Defensive End

The Eagles invested heavily in their defensive line for the 2021 campaign. They drafted two defensive tackles (Milton Williams, Marlon Tuipulotu), plus two defensive ends (Tarron Jackson, Patrick Johnson).

The team also inked veteran sack master Ryan Kerrigan and veteran defensive tackle Willie Henry. They want to have a lot of bullets in the holster for what should be an aggressive, attacking pass-rushing rotation.

“What I love about that group is they’re very smart,” new defensive line coach Tracy Rocker said. “Not just in football but just the way they carry themselves off the field so it’s been exciting for me just communicating with everyone in the room. I think, in this business, we’re always looking for improvement, from every player.”

Graham returns for his 12th NFL season and he’ll start alongside fifth-year defensive end Derek Barnett. That duo combined for 13.5 sacks in 2020. Josh Sweat will also be stepping into a much bigger role this season after recording a career-high six sacks last year.


Fletcher Cox Talks About New Energy

Fletcher Cox remains the unquestioned leader on the defensive line. The All-Pro defensive tackle has seen his numbers decrease significantly since 2018, causing some to wonder if he was on the decline. Cox was also the subject of a damaging report earlier this offseason.

But the 30-year-old remains the wise old owl in the meeting room and seemed re-invigorated by the young coaching staff that has been tasked with jump-starting the Eagles’ franchise.

“You feel the energy in the building, always with a new coaching staff,” Cox told reporters. “You want to connect with those guys because we’re here. We’re all together now, we’re a family now, we’re a team. We’re going to go through some ups and down so lets’ get this connection going right now.”

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