BREAKING: New Orleans Saints Select Georgia DT Christen Miller at No. 93 – The Three Explosive Reasons Why
METAIRIE, La. – The New Orleans Saints continued their aggressive overhaul of the defensive trenches on Saturday, selecting Georgia Bulldogs defensive tackle Christen Miller with the No. 93 overall pick in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The selection marks the second Georgia product to land in New Orleans during this draft class, following tight end Oscar Delp on Friday night. But while Delp was a projection pick based on athletic flashes, Miller represents something far more tangible: a violent, power-based interior disruptor whom the Saints believe can immediately rotate into a defensive line that desperately needed youth and explosion.
Miller (6-foot-3, 299 pounds) finished his senior season at Georgia with 28 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks – numbers that don’t jump off the page. But according to league sources inside the Saints’ war room, the analytics and film tell a story of a player whose impact far exceeded his stat line. Here are the three major reasons New Orleans pounced on Miller with the 93rd pick.
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Reason No. 1: The “Pocket Pusher” the Saints Have Lacked
For the past three seasons, the Saints’ interior pass rush has been a recurring weakness. Veteran defensive tackles Nathan Shepherd and Khalen Saunders are steady run defenders, but neither generates consistent up-the-middle pressure. Quarterbacks have been able to step up into clean pockets, neutralizing New Orleans’ edge rushers.
Christen Miller solves that problem immediately.
Miller ranked in the 86th percentile among FBS defensive tackles in pass-rush win rate during the 2025 season, according to internal metrics shared with league scouts. He does not possess elite length or bend, but he has what defensive line coaches call “hands of violence” – a explosive punch that jolts offensive linemen backward at the snap.
“Miller is a strong, powerful interior presence with heavy hands and a strong initial punch,” reads a consensus scouting report. “He is at his best when asked to fire off the ball and attack. He plays with good pad level and utilizes a quick swim move to clear blockers”.
For a Saints defense that ranked 22nd in sacks last season, adding a player who can collapse the pocket from the A-gap is a direct answer to their most glaring weakness. Head coach Kellen Moore and defensive coordinator Joe Woods want to bring pressure with four rushers; Miller allows them to do that without sending extra blitzers.
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Reason No. 2: The “Bulldog” Culture Fit (Literally)
While talent matters, the Saints have made it clear since Moore took over that character, durability, and football IQ are non-negotiable. In Christen Miller, they are getting a player who embodies the gritty, violent culture of Georgia’s defensive line room.
Miller played through a torn labrum in his right shoulder for the final six games of the 2025 season. He did not miss a single game. He required surgery after the season but was cleared for all football activities by the Combine. When teams asked him why he didn’t sit out, his answer was simple: “My brothers were still playing.”
That mentality resonated with the Saints’ front office, which watched the team fade physically in December the past two years. Miller has never been flagged for a conduct penalty. He has never missed a team meeting, per Georgia records. He arrives as a low-maintenance, high-output locker room presence.
Furthermore, Miller reunites with former Georgia defensive backs coach (now Saints secondary coach) Donte Williams, who vouched personally for Miller’s football intelligence. The Saints believe Miller can learn the playbook in weeks, not months, allowing him to contribute as a rotational tackle by Week 3.
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Reason No. 3: Value, Versatility, and the Bryan Bresee Connection
The third reason is pure roster economics and schematic fit.
The Saints already have former first-round pick Bryan Bresee at the three-technique position. Bresee is a finesse, speed-based interior rusher. Miller is a power, gap-shooting complement. Together, they form a “thunder and lightning” pairing that defensive coordinator Joe Woods can deploy situationally.
On passing downs, Bresee slides to the nose or the edge, while Miller attacks the guard. On running downs, Miller’s ability to two-gap and hold the point of attack allows the Saints to keep their linebackers clean.
But there is also a financial incentive: Nathan Shepherd is 33 years old and carries a $5.8 million cap hit. Khalen Saunders is 30. Miller will cost less than $1.2 million annually for four years. That kind of cost-controlled interior disruption is exactly how contending teams sustain deep rosters.
Analysts noted that Miller’s draft stock was suppressed only because of the shoulder surgery and a deep defensive tackle class. “Miller could hear his name called on Day 2,” one pre-draft report noted. “He plays with the power profile the NFL covets. A team looking for a run-stuffer with pass-rush upside will take a chance”.
The Saints took that chance at No. 93 – and believe they stole a player who would have gone 40 picks higher if healthy.
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The Instant Analysis
Draft analysts graded the Miller pick as a B+ – solid value, clear need, and a player with a defined NFL role.
“Miller is exactly what his draft slot suggests: a rotational defensive tackle who can hold up against double teams and provide some interior rush,” one scouting summary reads. “He’s tough as nails and plays with outstanding leverage. Don’t overthink it – this is a good football player”.
The concern, of course, is upside. Miller turns 24 during training camp. He does not have elite length (32.5-inch arms) or a deep pass-rush move repertoire. If the shoulder injury lingers, or if he cannot develop a counter move beyond his initial punch, he may max out as a two-down run defender.
But for a Saints team that ranked 29th in rushing yards allowed per game last season, even a two-down run defender who pushes the pocket is a significant upgrade.
With the selections of Delp and Miller, the Saints have now added two Georgia Bulldogs – both national champions, both battle-tested in the SEC, and both playing with a chip on their shoulder after sliding down draft boards. For a franchise trying to claw back into NFC contention, that kind of proven toughness may be the most valuable commodity of all.
The Christen Miller era in New Orleans begins with a simple mission: push the pocket, hold the line, and never take a play off.
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