Christen Miller had ‘the best butterflies ever’ at Georgia pro day

“One team asked me, did I sing better than Jordan Davis? You know what I’m saying? That kinda threw me off a little bit,” Miller said at Georgia’s pro day.

Miller’s competitive streak came out in his answer, as he proudly stated he’s got the better voice between the two defensive tackles.

Miller, ever joyful, much like the jolly giant that Davis was during his college days, made it clear his game has done plenty of talking to teams at the next level.

After a four-year career at Georgia that saw him become the team’s most impactful defensive lineman last season, Miller is ready to join his ever-expanding list of teammates at the next level.

He recognizes he’s blessed to be in this position, noting his athletic gifts put him in the top one percent of athletes, especially at his size.

“I watched for the last four years every guy come through here and do their pro day,” Miller said. “And just now that I’m doing it, it was like I had the best butterflies ever. Just knowing that now I’m in this position because of my hard work, because of my due diligence, because of me staying down and not leaving.”

Miller flirted with entering the transfer portal back in the spring of 2024 before ultimately remaining at Georgia. Based on his tone on Wednesday, he couldn’t be happier that he followed through and stuck it out with the Bulldogs.

That seems to have paid off for Miller, who is poised to be picked early in next month’s NFL draft. Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN had him landing with the Houston Texans in the first round of his most recent NFL mock draft.

“Miller is active and quick, and he keeps getting better,” Kiper Jr. wrote of the Georgia defensive tackle.

There’s also the possibility that Miller lands with the Atlanta Falcons, who have the No. 48 pick in the draft.

Coming from Ellenwood, it would mean a great deal for the Georgia product to bring his championship pedigree to the home-state team.

“Man, it’d be a blessing,” Miller said. “I think the city would go crazy. Man, if I was to come to Atlanta, it’d be a show every weekend. I know everybody popping up — everybody, everybody. And it’s just, I want championships. I won at Cedar Grove High School in Ellenwood. I won a championship here. And to bring a championship to the city, that’d be so special. I think my grandma would fall out. She’d lose her mind.”

Miller’s excitement on Wednesday couldn’t be contained by even an NFL double team. He’s put in the work at the University of Georgia to make himself into one of the top defensive line prospects.

He’s proud of who he’s become, even if he knows he still has some growing to do. He told reporters he needed to learn how to cook, something fairly common for most 22-year-olds.

Miller, through his joy off the field and violence on it, is not your average college senior getting ready to enter the professional ranks.

“C-Mill’s fun,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said of Miller. “He’s always got a big smile on his face. He loves football. I think that’s the overarching theme of a lot of teams have been he’s very talkative in meetings. He’s got a big personality, and I think it comes natural to him. He’s been a great asset for us.”

Miller trains with former Georgia standout Travon Walker, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Walker was on hand on Wednesday to watch Georgia players go through workouts.

It meant a lot to Miller for Walker to be there. And the NFL hopeful is excited about having the chance to do what Walker and Davis and Jalen Carter do at the next level, while still making time to come back to the program that molded him into who he’s become.

“I could have chosen to go to another school, but I stayed down for four years and I was able to receive the fruits of my labor,” Miller said. “So just me being out here today was just a blessing and just understanding that I’ve seen this over and over and over and over again. The standard was set over and over and over again, and these guys showed me the way. And now I’m showing somebody else that’s here the way. So it’s a blessing.”