Martrez Milner
Height: 6-3
Weight: 252
College: Georgia
Birthday: August 8, 1984
Hometown: Oakwood, GA
AGILITY TESTS & MEASURABLES
40 Speed: 4.67
20 Yd: 2.65
10 Yd: 1.54
Bench: 19 reps
Vertical Jump: 34.5 inches
Broad Jump: 9’9″
Short Shuttle: 4.49
3 Cone Drill: 7.35
Arm Length: 33.75 inches
Hand size: 9.5 inches
NFL Draft Countdown
by Scott Wright
Strengths: Has pretty good size and the frame to get bigger…Very athletic with good speed, quickness and body control…Can stretch the field and run after the catch…Puts in a solid effort as a blocker and has the tools to improve…Hails from a program that has become known for sending tight ends on to the NFL…Still has a lot of upside.
Weaknesses: Concentration is a major concern and he dropped a lot of balls in 2006…Does not have a lot of experience…Needs to get bigger and stronger…Still has a long way to go as a blocker…Has minor durability concerns…Not very aggressive…The team that selects him will be doing so based almost solely on potential, not production.
Notes: Comes from the same school that sent Jermaine Wiggins, Randy McMichael, Ben Watson and Leonard Pope to the pros…Patiently waited his turn behind Pope (a third round pick of the Arizona Cardinals last year who started as a rookie) and finally got his opportunity as a senior…Has all the physical tools and measurables you look for but to this point he hasn’t consistently played up to them…Intriguing prospect who some team will certainly take a chance on hoping that he develops.
Grade: Mid-Rounder
SI.com
by TFY Draft Preview
POSITIVES: Athletic receiver who displayed solid improvement as a senior. Fluid releasing off the line into routes, nicely uses his frame to protect the pass and adjusts to grab the errant throw. Flashes the ability to split the seam downfield.
NEGATIVES: Does not display soft, consistent hands, and double-catches too many throws. Marginal strength at the point as a blocker. Minimally productive in college.
ANALYSIS: A naturally gifted tight end who makes a lot of athletic plays, Milner entices scouts with flashes of ability. A developmental prospect with starting potential if the light goes on.
PROJECTION: Late Fourth Round
GRADE: 3.52 — Future Starter
NFL.com
by NFLDraftScout.com
Positives: Has a compact physique with solid overall muscle tone, a linear build with long arms and legs, good hand width, thick lower body and room to add at least another 15 pounds of bulk without affecting his explosive burst … Has outstanding body control and balance, showing the explosion to get a clean release and into his routes … Lacks ideal hands but runs crisp routes, demonstrating the ball-adjustment skills to get under the pass instantly … Sometimes uses an exaggerated swim move, but is effective with head fakes and his hip snap to beat the jam consistently … His initial burst lets him explode off the line and get into his patterns in an instant … Uses that speed to gain position when blocking vs. second-level defenders; that might be his best asset, especially when he has to reach a 7-tech, as he is quite effective at hooking them … Has the foot quickness, body control and plant-and-drive agility to come in and out of his breaks … Used mostly on digs, drags and option routes, but has the speed to take the ball up the seam … Has the vertical burst to pull away from defenders in the open and creates mismatches, as linebackers and safeties are too slow to cover him and cornerbacks are too small to tackle him … Moves with good urgency and can set up the defenders with his array of moves as he runs with good forward lean and leg drive to break tackles … Much more effective as a second-level blocker as he has the speed to get out quickly and the vision to locate linebackers … Does a nice job of mirroring the defender in space and will hit with a good thump.
Negatives: Has rare timed speed for his position, much like Vernon Davis (49ers), but is too inconsistent fielding the ball cleanly … While Milner is quick to digest plays, he tends to have concentration lapses that result in either costly penalties or drops of easily catchable passes … Will throttle down and stand around the pile rather than initiate up field contact at times … For a player of his size, you would hope that he would take a more aggressive approach, especially attacking the ball away from his frame … If you push him, he will produce, but you would hope that he would show more urgency in improving the weak areas of his game — consistency, hands and concentration … While he is strong on initial contact, Milner has had a history of ball concentration lapses that eventually led to him being temporarily benched in 2006 … His leaping ability is negated, as he can’t bring the ball down and seems to be more conscious of getting yards after the catch rather than securing the ball before running … When blocking in-line, he seems to lack desire and motivation … Can get position quickly but makes only passive swipes and really seems disinterested in gaining movement … Also takes questionable angles in his down blocks.
Compares To: Daniel Graham, Denver Broncos … Like Graham, Milner has excellent athletic ability, but shows too much inconsistency with his ball-concentration skills … He will make a sensational catch one second and then bobble several easy throws … Despite his quickness, his hands make him too much of a liability for the passing game and he also needs to do the “little extras” after practice to work on his deficiencies … His speed will entice some team, but his hands will frustrate most coaches.
The Huddle Report
by Drew Boylhart
STRENGTHS: Martrez has as much 1st round athletic talent as any TE in this draft. He has good size and speed and shows great quickness. When he concentrates, he can catch the ball as well as any of the top 1st round TE’s in this draft. So why isn’t he being considered as a first day TE?
NEEDS TO IMPROVE: Martrez is a pure tweener all the way. He would rather be a WR than a TE. He does not like to block and is not a team-oriented type of player. He only wants to catch the ball and make the big play. Of course this makes him inconsistent in all phases of his game.
OVERALL: I believe that the only person that Martrez will listen to is his agent. An agent that is telling him that TE’s who block do not make the big time money so it’s a waste of time learning and being successful at blocking. The agent is right and, as long as Martrez is only interested in money, I would not be interested in him. What can I say? The agent is not wrong…the facts are the facts! The problem is that the agent forgot to tell Martrez that you have to be consistent in catching the ball and cannot follow a great play with a bad play. Martrez reminds me a lot of Jeremy Stevens, the very talented, but markedly inconsistent and selfish TE for the Seattle Seahawks. Until Martrez understands that football is not a one-dimensional game played by players who only care about their fantasy league stats and not about winning — for me personally, he’s a player that I would have a very hard time drafting. Wait until his first contract is up and then see if he has grown up. Martrez has first day talent married to a “Me! Me!” attitude and that makes a 6th round talent grade seem about right for him. I’m sure after his workouts and interviews that teams will pick him in the third or fourth round because of a smart agent who will know how to work the system like a lobbyist works the Washington politicians. For the members of THR, you will have the luxury of the value board and the talent board. When the draft comes and some team picks Martrez – for you members it will be like watching a car crash right in front of your eyes in slow motion. The benefit for you, providing it is not your team picking, is that you will not be involved.
TALENT BOARD ROUND: 6
On The Clock DraftMartrez Milner has a good combination of size and athleticism for a tight end. He has average hands and he does a good job of turning upfield, allowing himself to gain additional yards after the catch. His speed and athleticism will create mismatches against slower linebackers. He has the ability to make plays down the field as well. Milner is a solid blocker who displays good technique; however, he can have problems against bigger, stronger defenders at times. He would benefit as a blocker by bulking up and increasing his strength and he does have the frame in which to do so. He does drop catchable passes at times and he needs to work on running more precise routes. Martrez doesn’t have a great deal of experience, having only started one full season at Georgia, but he hasn’t yet reached his full potential and he does have a good deal of upside. Milner comes from a program that has become well-known for developing NFL caliber tight ends. Martrez will try to follow in the footsteps of former Georgia tight ends such as: Jermaine Wiggins, Randy McMichael, Ben Watson, and most recently Leonard Pope. He should be a mid-round pick in the 2007 NFL draft.
Football’s Future
by Robert DavisMilner did not have much of an impact his first two seasons at Georgia, combining for just 92 yards on 5 receptions in 2003 and 2004. As a junior, he showed some potential, hauling in 14 passes for 291 yards and two touchdowns. He continued his progression and had a fine senior year, earning All SEC 1st Team honors after catching 30 balls for 425 yards and three touchdowns. Milner has the look of a fine receiving tight end. He has a good frame, and may be able to carry more weight in the future. He is also an excellent athlete, that has quickness in and out of his cuts, and the ability to adjust to the ball while it is in the air. Milner also has the speed to get down the field and make things happen. At this point, Milner may need more time to develop. He has really only been a factor for one full season, and he still needs work on his game. He is not a great blocker at this point and will have to improve in this area. He also will drop some passes from time to time, and for a player who’s real impact is as a receiver, that is alarming. Milner has a lot of upside and has the talent to really develop at the next level. If he can get more consistent with his hands, he could be an excellent receiving threat in the NFL.
Draft Ace
by Ryan McCrystal
Strengths: Decent size. Good athlete. Gives a good effort as a blocker. Above average speed for a tight end. Can make things happen after the catch.
Weaknesses: Inexperienced and very raw. Underachiever in his one chance to be a full time starter in 2006. Would benefit as a blocker if he bulks up.
Comments: Milner began 2006 as Georgia’s starter but lost the job towards the end of the season. He wasn’t a consistent target in the passing game and his blocking technique is very raw. He has some upside because of his athleticism but he only looks like a mid round pick at this point.
Draft Board Insider
by Curtis Popejoy
POSITIVES: Milner is a very good pass receiver. He’s developing into a great deep threat down the middle of the field. Milner has soft hands and pretty good speed. While he’s averaged over 20 yards per catch, he’ll never make Bulldog fans forget about the physical presence of Leonard Pope, but as a receiving-first tight end, there’s no doubt Milner has NFL potential.
NEGATIVES: Milner is a bit light for the position, and although he’s shown to be an OK blocker, his pass receiving is clearly his strength. Milner has room to grow, but I’m not sure he wants to put on 20 more pounds at the expense of his speed in pass routes. Consistency has been an issue for Milner, so he’ll need to show that he can come up big every week and not take half a season off like he did at the end of 2005 where he fell off the face of the Earth for 7 games.
FINAL WORD: Milner has a ton of potential and could certainly blow up this year, making a name for himself as the next great Georgia TE, but after his vanishing act last season, I have to wonder if he’s going to show up at all this year or just how much he’s going to be part of the offensive game plan. He seemed to be a favorite target of DJ Shockley for a while and then…poof! Will he return to his 2005 first half form this year or stay on the back of the milk carton?
Consensus Draft Services Overview: Georgia has a knack for developing NFL tight ends. The names Ben Watson and Leonard Pope immediately come to mind. Add Milner’s name to the list.
Strengths: Milner is a complete player. He has very good speed and athleticism for the position. He’s able to get downfield and create mismatches with slower LBs and smaller DBs. Milner also is a very solid blocker, both in-line and in space — a skill that seems to be too rare with pass-catching tight ends.
Weaknesses: The most noticeable weakness with Milner is his concentration lapses as a receiver. He dropped far too many passes as a senior. Also, as good a blocker as Milner is technically, he’s not a physically dominant player and can be overwhelmed by the big DE or a very strong LB. He doesn’t really have the frame to add to much additional bulk.
Projection: In a down year for tight ends, Milner could be in higher demand come draft day. A 40 time around 4.60 would really make him more desirable. He could go as early as the late second round, but is more likely to hear his name called in the third or early fourth rounds.
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