Matt Miller’s Journey to Becoming a Pivotal Piece of the NFL Draft Coverage
JOPLIN, MO — Matt Miller is a local legend around these parts because he’s known for being a pivotal part of the NFL as an Insider and an Analyst for Bleacher Report and now currently ESPN.
But for this former Liberal Bulldog, his journey is one worth telling.
Before he joined ESPN, Miller was Bleacher Report’s lead NFL Draft writer from 2010-2021.
Miller also served as Director of Scouting for New Era Scouting from 2006-10 and served as a coach for CFL’s the Joplin Crusaders from 2006-08.
But the reason he is based out of Joplin is because this is home to him where his family is.
Matt Miller said, “I grew up in Liberal, Missouri, which is like population 700 people when I was there. So to still be in this area, I think I get asked all the time like, “why do you still live there? Why don’t you live in Connecticut or all these places?”, and you know, I’m from here and I’m proud to be from here. My family’s here. Like you said, I went to Missouri Southern. I coached for the Joplin Crusaders. To go from working in marketing at Miller’s Professional Imaging in Pittsburg, Kansas, to being, the face of Bleacher Report to NFL coverage that happened in like a three month time span for me. So it was like a whirlwind”.
Miller’s job now requires him creating mock drafts, scouting reports, interacting with prospects, interviewing them, getting to know them.
And although this job does take long hours, a lot of work and deadlines and stress, the satisfaction of seeing players go on to have great careers is why his love for this job outweighs everything else.
Miller said, “Oh, absolutely. And a lot of that satisfaction is to see those players go on to have great careers, to have known Patrick Mahomes since he was a freshman at Texas Tech and, you build so many relationships with guys and then you watch them have success. It is incredibly rewarding, to just see their careers take off because I feel like a lot of my job is that it’s telling the general public who these players are as people and as athletes and what they can bring to an NFL team. And that is the fun part. When you get those relationships of players, then you say like, oh my gosh, you almost feel like a proud parent watching them have success in the NFL. So that’s without a doubt the best part”.
With a job like this one, you need to have a great support staff behind you and with Miller, his family is his biggest support staff and biggest supporters.
Miller said, “Yeah, everyone is great at understanding that my schedule is hectic and that and you guys know in the news industry things can change immediately. A couple of weeks ago, I thought I was home for weeks and then it was, well, actually we need you on the road for a whole week. So I think just the flexibility is great from my parents on down to, my ten year old son, I would not be where I am without the support of my parents, my brothers, my wife, certainly my daughter and my son have all been, the reason that I’m here”.
Looking back now, from his college days, to coaching the Crusaders, to working in marketing and 20 years later, he’s one of the faces of ESPN bringing the country NFL Draft coverage working alongside greats like Mel Kiper Jr. and Rece Davis, Miller couldn’t have imagined himself being at this point.
Miller said, “I wouldn’t believe it. I really wouldn’t. I tell people all the time, I wrote a paper when I was, I think, eight or nine years old that I wanted to be Mel Kiper Jr when I grow up, I didn’t know that was a job that anyone other than Mel Kiper could ever have. So, to be fortunate enough to share a job with him, to work at the same network, to have sat on the same desk as him is really like I know people say this, it’s cliche, but it is, it’s a dream come true.”
Miller said he will take some much needed time off with his family and just enjoying things outside of work until it’s time to start preparing for the 2025 NFL Draft.
You will always catch Miller across ESPN platforms like; NFL Live, SportsCenter and Get Up!
