Clemson’s Miller expected to fortify front for the Lions | 2026 NFL Draft Rd 1, 17th overall
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The Detroit Lions took former Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller
The Detroit Lions selected former Clemson tackle Blake Miller 17th overall in the first round of Thursday night’s NFL Draft. Miller -who started his first-ever contest at Clemson- brings a multitude of snaps to the table for the Lions. In fact, he played nearly 1,000 snaps as a true freshman for the Tigers.
Short memory
Through 54 career starts, Miller’s best attribute may have been a short memory. We’ve chronicled several high-level battles from Miller through that four-year stint. In fact, in our video breakdown, we look back at his first career start in 2022. In that matchup versus Georgia Tech, he faced off against former New England Patriots second-round pick Keion White (49ers). He also squares off against Tampa Bay 2026 first-round pick Rueben Bain, Jr. (see video below) and 49ers 2025 first-round pick Mykel Williams in the video spotlight. Each of those players had their moments against Miller, but he responded favorably in each instance.
Lions plan
While the team’s plan along the offensive front remains unknown, general manager Brad Holmes has done his best to patch up a leaky 2025 unit. The team added former Dolphins offensive tackle Larry Borom and Panthers center Cade Mays in free agency. They also traded for former Houston Texans interior OL Juice Scruggs. Broom has started at least four games in every NFL season. Mays came on in 2025 and Scruggs is a 20-game NFL starter.
But the person everyone will be watching is Miller. He has demonstrated an ability to recover after a mistake. This attribute is critical for a likely starting rookie NFL tackle. If he can hold the right tackle spot, it could allow All-Pro offensive tackle Penei Sewell (see video) to slide back to his collegiate position.
Of note, the team had an opportunity to select a couple of left tackles (Monroe Freeling, Caleb Lomu) when Miller was on the board with the 17th overall pick. Holmes explained the organization’s philosophy when meeting with reporters after the first round.
“Really high floor player,” Holmes opened. “He’s a finisher. He has unbelievable football character….work ethic. Everything from a culture standpoint, he fits that. That’s the easy part.”
If there was one attribute which stood out in our film study on Miller, it was indeed finish. In the aforementioned first career game, he took White to the ground on a couple of different occasions (see video above). The former wrestler’s competitiveness flashed brightly even in one of his roughest career outings (Miami, Fla. ’23).
For a team that prides itself on grit, Miller seems to be the perfect fit. In order for the team to finish what it started under Dan Campbell and Holmes in 2021, he may need to be in Year 1.
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