The first small, quick receiver off the board in the 2019 draft was also the first receiver taken, Marquise Brown at #25 overall. Brown is the same height as Miller, but was 8 pounds lighter at the Combine. As recruits, neither was highly rated, but Miller was slightly higher than Brown. Scotty took his only D1 offer and played as a freshman at Bowling Green in 2015. Brown who is a couple months older (turned 22 a couple days back) left HS a year later with no D1 offers, and went to a West Coast CC on his own dime in 2016. While he was catching 50 balls for 754 yards at College of The Canyons, Santa Clara, Miller was 74 passes, 968 yards, in the MAC. Then Brown ran a hand measured 4.33 40 at a scouting tryout, according to himself, and got a D1 offer from Oklahoma. In 2017, there, Brown racked up 57 catches (second on the team to TE Mark Andrews) for 1095 yards in the wide open offense with Baker Mayfield at QB. Miller had a tougher year, fighting through a hamstring injury on a bad team but still caught 63 balls for 722 yards. Last season, Brown blew up with 75 catches, 1318 yards, and 10 TDs, on an even more prolific offense with Kyler Murray throwing him the ball. But Miller nearly matched his numbers (in one less game) with 71, 1148, 9 TDs. This despite the fact that the Sooners had over 4500 team passing yards, while the Falcons had 2800 as a team in 2018. It's no stretch to say that Scotty Miller has been more effective as a receiver every year of his career so far, going back as far as records are kept.
As to their respective speed, neither ran at the Combine. Miller was not invited, despite all of his accomplishments, while Brown had a lingering foot problem from late in the regular season. In hand held times, Brown only has the reputed 4.33 from JC, while Miller's ranged between 4.28 to 4.35 at his pro day. But in high school track, Scotty's best 100 time (10:53) was a full second faster than Brown's (11.53). That may simply be because Miller had better sprint form, but it's fairly safe to say that Scotty is at least as fast, and probably faster in a straight line. Despite the extra weight. In terms of hands, Miller had one of the best catch rates (67%) of any college receiver with over 200 career catches ever recorded. His form isn't great on film (he basket catches most of his balls) but it seems to work. The same complaint comes up about Brown in scouting reports as well, and he is less efficient statistically. Marquise did play at a slightly higher level of competition at Oklahoma, but it was a jailbreak offense far removed from NFL norms. Miller also did exceptionally well against the top opponents Bowling Green did face.
Brown probably has the advantage in all round natural athleticism, although Miller's pro day numbers in all the events were above average, with an exceptional 40. Still with Brown still hobbling around in a walking boot at 166 pounds, I think I'd be inclined to pick Miller if they were both sitting there in a redraft.
