Film study: Lions rookie OT Miller offers exciting versatility, demeanor as a run blocker, needs some polish in protection
The Detroit Lions had a pair of glaring long-term needs entering April’s draft — defensive end and offensive tackle — and any reasonable accounting of the situation suggested the best opportunity to fill the latter would be this year.
To start, this was a deep group of prospects at the top of the class, with a half-dozen potential starters. And the Lions were in good position to land one with the No. 17 pick.
Had Detroit missed out or waited, who really knows how next year’s crop of talent shakes out. Plus, if the Lions take advantage of a softer schedule, like we expect them to do, they should be drafting later in the first round in 2027. Finally, they might not have a viable starting option already in place a year down the road, like they currently do with Larry Borom, forcing them into playing a rookie, whether they’re ready or not.
Well, good news. The opening round of the draft played out as most of us expected. Standing pat after exploring opportunities to trade up, the Lions got who many had suspected was their guy all along, Clemson right tackle Blake Miller.
“He’s gotten stronger, his technique’s gotten better, his hands have gotten better,” general manager Brad Holmes said after selecting Miller. “…I think there’s a lot of growth left in him, and that’s hard to find. Some guys, they have a really high ceiling, but the floor is not as high, and so there’s a little bit more development.
“Look, these are all rookies, so they’re going to have their lumps and all that,” Holmes continued. “We expect that, but it’s hard to find guys that have the floor and still have growth, because this guy, when you start matching up his athleticism numbers and all of that to these other tackles, I mean, he’s right up in the mix. So, we’ll see how high it goes, but I don’t have any hesitation or any reservations that he’s going to continue to get better.”
The pick effectively completes a two-year overhaul of Detroit’s starting offensive line, which included the signing of center Cade Mays and drafting of guard Tate Ratledge a year earlier. The addition of Miller will also allow the Lions to move All-Pro Penei Sewell to the left, where he will replace longtime blindside blocker Taylor Decker.
Miller, a two-time, first-team All-ACC selection is unquestionably the Lions' type. More than physically gifted, he’s gritty and tough. Let’s conclude this tape study series by inspecting Miller’s film, to better understand the lineman’s strengths and weaknesses and how he fits Detroit.
Games watched
2025: at Boston College, at Louisville, at South Carolina, vs. Penn State (bowl game)
Note: Miller is No. 78 in the clips posted below.