Von Miller

It is not hyperbole to say that Miller is one of the best pass rushers of all time, considering that since he entered the NFL in 2011, the 34-year-old has amassed 123.5 sacks through 161 contests. Last year, however, Miller suffered a season-ending ACL tear in Week 12 and is still working his way back from the injury. There is no official timetable on the linebacker's return to game action, and while there's some optimism that Miller could be available for Week 1, it's possible that he could start the coming campaign on the PUP list.

Miller joining the Bills qualifies as one of this year's higher-impact additions. He still possesses elite-level pass-rushing skills, even though the future Hall of Famer's skill set isn't quite what it was during his prime years with the Broncos. Still, he's still capable of making a run at double-digit sacks when he can play close to a full 17-game slate, and he should do well joining a defense coming off a No. 1 league ranking in 2021.

Miller suffered a devastating ankle injury that sidelined him for the entire 2020 season, and then he dealt with legal issues this January. The Broncos briefly considered reworking his contract due to the aforementioned concerns, but ultimately opted to bring him back on his current deal. Entering the final year of his massive contract from 2016, Miller will look to register his first double-digit sack season since 2018, alongside dynamic pass-rushing teammate, Bradley Chubb.

Miller's eight sacks in 2019 were a career low for a season in which he played at least 10 games. The veteran struggled with a sore knee during the season and didn't have the benefit of Bradley Chubb opposite him for the final three quarters of the year. Miller did, however, manage to pick up the pace down the stretch with 5.5 sacks in his final eight games and he finished with 18 hurries, ranking eighth in the league. A 2020 season with Bradley Chubb and, hopefully, better health will help determine whether Miller is on the decline or if 2019 was just a perfect storm.

The arrival of 2018 first-round pick Bradley Chubb helped free up Miller, who managed to generate 14.5 sacks, the second best mark of his career. Coach Vic Fangio, a linebackers coach by trade, has been steadfast in his belief that both Miller and Chubb have room for improvement and Miller has made it known that he's looking for 20 sacks in 2019. In order to get back into playoff contention, the Broncos would surely like for Miller to play better within the division. Miller averaged 1.2 sacks per game against non-division opponents in 2018, but just 0.4 sacks per game against AFC West competition.

Miller finished 2017 with just 10 sacks, his lowest total since an injury-shortened 2013. It's not as if he received much help as the rest of Denver's outside linebackers totaled just six sacks. In comes Bradley Chubb, Denver's highest pick since drafting Miller second overall in 2011. Chubb's ability to threaten the opposite edge could provide Miller with a tandem partner that Shaq Barrett and 2015 first-rounder Shane Ray have been inconsistent in offering. Sacks are not like receptions or carries; the success of a teammate is not necessarily prohibitive. In the three seasons in which Miller has totaled more than 13 sacks, he's always had a teammate post at least eight sacks. The Broncos hope that Chubb, Ray and/or Barrett can fill that role. Also, don't underestimate the effect of Denver's coaching shakeup on the defensive side. Miller will now be mentored by grizzled defensive line coach Bill Kollar, perhaps most famous for developing J.J. Watt early in his career.

Miller followed up his tour de force during Denver's Super-Bowl run with a 2016 that featured 13.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, three batted passes and his third career first team All-Pro selection. Miller will be without his partner in crime, DeMarcus Ware, this season, but both Shane Ray and Shaq Barrett have proven effective on the edge opposite Miller and the Broncos prioritized adding beef to their defensive interior in the offseason, making it difficult to slide too much of the protection Miller's way. Miller, who has stated on multiple occasions that he has room to grow as he enters his prime, has been the league's most consistent pass rusher since he was drafted second overall in 2011. He has yet to pick up fewer than 11 sacks in any full season and has generated pressure on 17.3 percent of his rushes during his career, according to Pro Football Focus, the highest of any player since Pro Football Focus began tracking in 2006.

If Denver's season would have closed on Week 17, the narrative on Miller's 2015 would have been that the talented pass rusher put together a solid-yet-unspectacular campaign, his 11 sacks representing a career-low for a full season. Of course, he then put on his Lawrence Taylor costume and got to the quarterback five times combined in the AFC title game and Super Bowl 50. While Miller is yet to come under contract for 2016, he holds the potential to set a new single-season sack record in the future, making him indespensible to the Broncos regardless of how Shaq Barrett and Shane Ray performed as rookies.

Miller will once again headline a strong pass rush for the Broncos after posting 14 sacks last season, his third double-digit sack total in four seasons. The biggest fantasy knock on Miller is that he he is usually classified as a linebacker, and he has yet to break the 70-tackle mark in any season. He would be an elite option if he was listed as a defensive end, but because he doesn't come close to 100 tackles, his fantasy upside can be limited.

Miller is one of the best pass rushers in the league when he is on the field, but that has been an issue for him lately. He was suspended for the first six games of last season for violating the league's drug policy, and he is currently rehabbing from a torn ACL, which he suffered in December. It's unclear how quickly he'll be able to get back on the field, although it wouldn't be surprising if he missed some (or even all) of training camp, as he said recently that he will not rush back from the injury. Miller's biggest IDP issue is that he qualifies as a linebacker, and with his low tackle totals -- he's never reached the 70-tackle mark -- he is bypassed by many others at his position despite the sack-upside.

It might seem wrong to list a superstar like Miller this low in the rankings, but IDP leagues don't necessarily measure real-life impact as much as they do raw statistics, and Miller's role as a linebacker/defensive end hybrid leaves him with fewer tackle opportunities than the other players with the linebacker designation. It's safe to say that Miller should still be owned in most IDP leagues since he's a remarkable pass rusher, but his failure to reach the 70-tackle mark the last two years limits his upside in most scoring systems. What further limits his upside is that he'll be suspended for the first six games of the season after violating the leagues drug policy. It's a major blow to his season totals, reducing his IDP value even more.

Although Denver primarily runs a 4-3 alignment, Miller’s rare ability as a pass rusher results in him being used more like a defensive end or a 3-4 outside linebacker, which in turn limits his ability to pile up tackles. Like DeMarcus Ware, though, Miller is such a star as a pass rusher that he remains an IDP factor. He finished his rookie year with 64 tackles (50 solo) and 11.5 sacks despite missing one game and playing hurt in four others with torn thumb ligaments. With better health and a full NFL offseason heading into 2012, improvement is expected from Miller.

Although Miller specialized in rushing the quarterback at Texas A&M, Denver is hoping to turn this year's second overall pick into an all-around 4-3 linebacker, albeit one who figures to blitz more often than most. In addition to being an intelligent, productive player, Miller is also a remarkable athlete, as he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds after weighing in at 247 pounds at the NFL Combine. Miller totaled 27 sacks and 39 tackles for loss in his last two years at Texas A&M, so he has all the makings of a future NFL star.