Miller lands with Eagles in fourth round

Shareef Miller’s longtime dream of rising to the NFL ranks has officially transpired.

Selected in the fourth round of this year's NFL Draft to the Philadelphia Eagles, Miller was the 138th overall pick. He's a native of Philadelphia and will join fellow Nittany Lion Miles Sanders in the City of Brotherly Love.

Described as having versatility, but still needing to be coached and developed more before potentially contributing at the next level, Miller believes himself capable of taking those next steps.

“(I’m) a guy who’s going to come in and work, who’s going to learn, who’s coachable, bring a great attitude, bring leadership qualities,” he said at Penn State’s Pro Day. “A guy who’s ready to compete, ready to work and compete.”

A productive member of Penn State’s defense, Miller was twice named to the third-team All-Big Ten team. As a redshirt junior, he totaled 15 tackles for a loss and 7.5 sacks. Miller totaled 26 tackles for loss 12.5 sacks for his career in Happy Valley.

Growing up, Miller attended George Washington High School, which is located just nine miles north of Lincoln Financial Field. He was a three-star prospect in the Class of 2015.

During last month's Pro Day, Miller was asked about the possibility of joining his hometown team.

“My pop pop might have a heart attack because he loves the Eagles,” he said. “It would be a real blessing. It would be a great story, coming from Philly, playing at Penn State then going to the Eagles. It would be real good.”

Head coach James Franklin released a statement following Miller's selection.

“Shareef is such an amazing story and we couldn’t be happier for him to be drafted by the Eagles and have a chance to play in his hometown," said Franklin

"He has great speed off the edge, which made him into an all-conference player at Penn State and will help him be successful on the next level. Shareef’s motor does not stop. He consistently plays with great effort and pursues the football as well as any player in our program. His burst off the ball and tireless effort put him into position to make lots of stops, but he is also athletic enough to drop into pass coverage. Shareef’s maturity and growth, both on and off the field, is something we are very proud of.”