Detroit Lions film review: Breaking down Miles Frazier's debut
Allen Park — The Detroit Lions felt like they got tremendous value when offensive lineman Miles Frazier fell to them toward the end of the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft. Most outside observers agreed.
Where Frazier fit into the equation — short- and long-term — made for compelling discussion, but when a knee injury sidelined him from early May until mid-November, that discussion felt like it might be tabled for the duration of his rookie campaign.
After using up all of his three-week acclimation period, the Lions added Frazier to the active roster a week ago, then immediately made him a healthy scratch for the team’s Thanksgiving matchup against Green Bay.
A mid-week foot injury for replacement starter Kayode Awosika, who had been filling in for Christian Mahogany since he suffered a broken leg, paved the path for Frazier to be active against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday.
Still, with so little practice time under his belt, it was difficult to project anything beyond an emergency role going into the contest. Of course, we now know that wasn’t the plan. With Awosika out of action, the Lions inserted experienced and versatile veteran Trystan Colon into the starting lineup, but after two offensive series, Frazier assumed the left guard responsibilities.
The planned rotation saw Frazier work four of the team’s 11 possessions, two in the first half and two in the second, prior to the offense taking knees to finish out the game. He would log more than 20 offensive snaps, and several more on special teams, with the Lions scoring a pair of touchdowns and adding a field down during the four drives the rookie was on the field.
That’s quality production, but what role did Frazier play in the success? Did he wildly exceed expectations as a debuting Day 3 pick, much like Mahogany a season earlier, or were Honolulu blue glasses in full effect, inflating the performance because new is inherently interesting?
Let’s see what the tape has to say about the performance, but a reminder, regardless of the results, we’re talking about a tiny sample size, so we should avoid making broad conclusions.
First drive, third series overall, six plays, 42 yards, touchdown
Frazier (71) was immediately isolated against three-time Pro Bowl and former All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.