An NFC Executive Just Validated What We Already Knew About Blake Miller
Look, we didn’t need some anonymous NFC executive to tell us that Brad Holmes nailed the Blake Miller pick. But damn if it doesn’t feel good to hear it anyway.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler went fishing for insider opinions on draft picks across the league, and when it came to the Lions’ first-round selection of Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller, one NFC executive didn’t mince words: “He’s the best tackle in the draft.”
The best tackle in the draft. At pick 17. While other teams were overthinking it.
Holmes Had Options, Made the Right Call
Detroit had their pick of tackles to address their biggest need. Georgia’s Monroe Freeling was highly regarded. Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor caught Pittsburgh’s eye enough to go at 21. Utah’s Caleb Lomu was the last of seven top tackles when New England traded up for him at 28.
And yes, there were plenty of rumors connecting the Lions to Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor. But Proctor went 12th overall, described as a “top five talent” with questions about whether he’ll maximize it. That’s executive speak for “all the tools, but will he use them?”
Holmes took Miller instead. No drama, no character concerns, no wondering if the guy will show up ready to work. Just the best tackle in the class, according to someone whose job it is to evaluate these things.
This is What Good Organizations Do
Remember when we used to draft based on need and hope the player would develop? Remember when we’d reach for guys two rounds early because we were desperate? This isn’t that. This is Holmes identifying the right player at the right spot and trusting his evaluation over the noise.
Miller was “magma-hot late in the process,” according to the report. Translation: smart teams figured out what the Lions already knew.
The piece also mentioned fifth-round receiver Kendrick Law, noting the Lions think they have “a tough, versatile player who’s good with the ball in his hands.” No insider quotes there, just Holmes continuing to find value in the later rounds like he always does.
So we got the best tackle in the draft at 17, and an NFC executive is willing to go on record saying so. Not bad for a franchise that used to draft kickers in the second round and convince themselves it was genius.
Is this what it feels like when your GM actually knows what he’s doing, or are we all just setting ourselves up for heartbreak again? Sound off below.
This is what I’ve been saying since we drafted him. Brad Holmes doesn’t panic and doesn’t reach for needs like some of these other GMs do. He finds the best player available and makes it work, and apparently that NFC exec just confirmed what everyone with eyes already knew.
I want to believe this so bad, but let’s pump the brakes a little. One anonymous exec calling him the best tackle in the draft is cool and all, but we’ve gotta see him actually play before we’re doing victory laps. I hope he’s a stud, but I’ve learned not to get too high on draft picks.
You know what blows my mind? This is just normal competent drafting and it feels revolutionary for us. That’s not a knock on Holmes, it’s just proof of how bad things were before. We’re not reaching, we’re not panicking, we’re just picking the best guy. That alone tells you how different this era is.
The fact that we had the guts to take Miller over Proctor when everyone was buzzing about that Alabama guy shows real confidence in the eval process. Holmes trusting his board over the hype machine is exactly what you want to see from a GM.