Lions' OT Blake Miller: Can 14th Ranked Player Have Elite Rookie Year?

The Detroit Lions addressed one of their biggest needs early in the 2026 NFL Draft.

After parting ways with 10-year veteran Taylor Decker, the Lions drafted Clemson's Blake Miller with their first-round pick to address their offensive tackle vacancy. Miller will be expected to compete for a starting job right away opposite of All-Pro Penei Sewell.

Miller has the opportunity to lock down a role for Detroit for the long-term future should he start his career strong. That's why he comes in as the team's No. 14 most important player for the 2026 season.

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Why Miller is so important

As the team's first-round pick, there is an expectation for him to step in right away and contribute. His track record is certainly solid, as he didn't miss a game in four years at Clemson and made over 50 starts.

This durability and consistency is something Decker provided for the team for the majority of his 10 seasons, though injuries eventually caught up to him. As a result, the Lions are hoping Miller can provide similar levels of consistency as he begins his career.

The Lions made several moves to ensure improvement on the offensive line after some struggles last year, and Miller is a big part of that equation. The presence of Larry Borom indicates that he'll have to compete for the job rather than be handed to it, but Miller's track record indicates that he's up to the task.

Miller's strengths and weaknesses

A definite strength of Miller's is his durability, as he made 52 starts at Clemson over his four seasons there. He missed just two practices, with one being after he had surgery to repair a broken wrist. According to reports, he can't remember the last time he missed a game.

In addition to this, Miller graded out well both as a run-blocker and a pass-blocker at the collegiate level. During the 2025 season at Clemson, Miller had an 83.5 pass-blocking grade and a 73.3 run-blocking grade via Pro Football Focus. He allowed 14 total pressures and two sacks in his final collegiate season.

Miller's biggest weakness pairs with the fact that he has yet to play an NFL snap, and as a result there will likely be some growing pains along the way. He noted during OTAs that he's focused on nailing down the pre-snap process, as there is an absence of physicality with practices being unpadded at this stage.

The Clemson product will certainly take his lumps in training camp when matched up in practice with players like Aidan Hutchinson, but the Lions are hoping this process will help him grow as a player.

What happens if Miller gets hurt?

Miller is expected to play a key role in Detroit's offensive line, and if he were to go down it would be a big hit to their depth. Even if Miller doesn't win the starting job right away, he's expected to play a big role. If the Lions were to lose him, it would be a big blow.

Miller and Borom are competing for the starting job, so if Miller were to go down it would be Borom who would take over. However, the tackle depth is somewhat thinner with Giovanni Manu being next in line.

If Miller were to go down, not only would it put a strain on the depth chart, but also it would deprive him of the ability to contribute and learn on the job as a rookie.

Why we ranked Miller here

The Lions' identity has been their offensive line throughout Dan Campbell's tenure as head coach. With the changes they underwent this offseason, it's important for the team to be able to get back to its roots of dominating the line of scrimmage and pave the way for an efficient run game.

Miller is expected to be an essential part of that process as the team's first-round pick. His college tape indicates that he's ready to take on the role of a starter, and if he can earn the job through a competition with Borom he'll be an integral part of the organization not just this year but for the foreseeable future.

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