Is Scotty Miller faster than Tyreek Hill? The numbers don’t say so fast

The call Scotty Miller received on the Buccaneers’ draft day included six notable words, according to the Chicago Tribune: “We need speed.”

So even in NFL circles Miller is considered quick and was thought of that way even before he played a professional cliché. But Miller’s most recent speed claim didn’t involve just any NFL player as a comparison – he was talking about Tyreek Hill.

On “The Dan Patrick Show” 11 days before Super Bowl 55, Miller was asked if he could beat Hill in a race. The Tampa Bay wide receiver, of course, picked himself.

“I take myself out, every day of the week,” Miller said. “I’m going to take on anybody. Tyreek is an incredible talent, super fast, incredible. But if we’re talking about a race, I mean, I’m completely confident to take on anybody.”

Patrick Mahomes disagreed.

“It’s an interesting take,” Mahomes said. “You have to be confident, though. I’ll give [Miller] This … He’s a quick guy. He’s a great receiver, but I love my guy. “

Although that seems like a good idea for a Super Bowl halftime show (sorry The weekend) – with Hill saying, “Maybe we can do something at halftime, line up” – a head-to-head race between Miller and Hill is unlikely any time soon. Fortunately, it is 2021 and there is a lot of data on sprint speed and field speed. It’s easy to play detective on this mystery.

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Is Scotty Miller faster than Tyreek Hill?

There isn’t a single publicly available number that suggests Miller is faster than Hill. Miller is faster than most NFL players, but Hill is still faster than more.

Neither receiver raced at the NFL Combine, but both burned it down during their respective professional days. At Bowling Green, Miller ran a 4.36-second dash from 40 yards. But Hill’s was faster in West Alabama, clocking 4.29 seconds.

What about after they put on the towels? Hill wins again. The NFL’s Next Gen Stats database has tracked the speed of the ball carrier since 2016. This first year, a rookie Hill recorded what is still the fastest time with the ball in his hands at 23.24 miles per hour.

Miller and Hill also showed their speed during the 2021 playoffs, but again Hill wins this battle, with a high speed of 20.76 miles per hour from Miller’s peak of 20.64 miles per hour. Hill also had a regular season top speed of 21.91 miles per hour in the regular season, faster than anything Miller has recorded.

So if a race between Miller and Hill took place on paper, there was nothing to suggest Miller would win, despite his self-confidence.

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Tyreek Hill thinks he could lose a race

There’s only one reason to think Hill could lose a race to Miller. Earlier this season, Hill told TMZ that he “has finished withdrawing from the race”.

Hill’s statement came in the context of Lamar Jackson, not Miller. But Hill admitted at the time that Jackson “would probably get me right away,” and the Monday before the Super Bowl, he said, “I do not know” as to whether Miller is faster than him.

Conveniently, Jackson also ran fast during the 2021 playoffs. His top speed of 20.64 miles per hour as a running back equals Miller’s top speed in the playoffs. So if Hill thinks Jackson would beat him in a race, maybe Miller could too.

Our money is still on the man they call “The Cheetah”.

Fastest players in the 2021 NFL playoffs

Since he’s been referenced multiple times, here’s a list of the 10 fastest ball carrier speeds recorded by Next Gen Stats this postseason. All of the speeds below are from the first three playoff rounds before the Super Bowl.

Top 10 Fastest 2021 NFL Playoff Players (mph)