Blake Miller Is the Perfect Cornerstone to Fix Detroit's Broken Offensive Line

Blake Miller Could Be the Missing Piece to Detroit’s Offensive Line Revival

Remember when the offensive line was our identity? When that wall of muscle in Honolulu Blue was the thing opposing defenses had nightmares about? Those days feel like a distant memory after watching what used to be our foundation crumble into dust.

The numbers don’t lie. What was once the engine that drove this team’s success from 2022-24 became the anchor that sank us. Frank Ragnow retired. Taylor Decker and Graham Glasgow were released amid contract differences and a desire to get younger and more sustainable. Jonah Jackson and Kevin Zeitler also departed in free agency at different times, leaving us with a patchwork mess.

Sure, John Morton’s underwhelming tenure as offensive coordinator didn’t help. But let’s be honest about what really happened. The Lions’ fall from first to worst in the division last season can be traced directly back to the trenches.

The Rebuild Begins

This offseason, the organization has made a concerted effort to reclaim its identity in the trenches, adding players like Cade Mays, Larry Borom, Ben Bartch, and Juice Scruggs to help restock the unit. It’s a start, but we’re still missing that cornerstone piece.

Enter Blake Miller, Clemson’s right tackle. Given the premium nature of the offensive tackle position and the strength of this draft class at the top, the Lions are well positioned to use a top-20 pick to put the finishing touches on their offensive line remodel. Miller stands out as a strong candidate to be the best player available when Detroit is on the clock.

The Athletic Foundation

Here’s what gets overlooked about Miller. Everyone calls him “safe” or “high-floor,” which makes it sound like he’s some plodding road grader. That’s BS.

This kid is an athlete. He checks in at over 6-foot-6 and 317 pounds, with an 83 7/8-inch wingspan and 34 1/4-inch arms—comfortably checking all of the boxes from a size and length standpoint. But the testing numbers tell the real story. He registered a 5.04-second 40-yard dash (86th percentile among offensive tackles), a 32-inch vertical (87th percentile), a 113-inch broad jump (90th percentile), and 32 reps on the bench press (91st percentile).

For a player not typically defined by elite athleticism, Miller is more than well-equipped physically, proven out by having the third-highest Relative Athletic Score (9.90) among all offensive tackle prospects in this draft, with the movement traits and testing profile to support a long and successful NFL career.

The Resume Speaks

2× First team All-ACC (2024, 2025). Third team All-ACC (2023). Freshman All-American (2022). Set school record for most consecutive starts by a non-specialist (54) and career snaps (3,778 – school kept track since 1986). Team captain (2025).

The accolades matter, but what matters more is what you see on tape.

What Makes Miller Special

Miller is one of the most efficient-moving offensive tackle prospects in this draft. Despite being over 6-foot-6, he’s an incredibly fluid and effortless mover. One of his defining traits is his smooth movement ability paired with outstanding lateral quickness—allowing him to reach his landmarks with controlled urgency while maintaining favorable leverage and positioning to sustain blocks. Whether it’s backside cut-off blocks, down blocks, sealing the edge, climbing to the second level, or executing skip pulls, Miller consistently gets the job done. His ability to operate in space is a major asset.

That trait has real translation to the Detroit Lions. Frank Ragnow was previously a valuable weapon on pulls and second-level work thanks to his quickness and control, and, outside of Penei Sewell, the Lions lacked that type of polished mover last season. It’s a missing element that can help create more chunk plays and open explosive rushing lanes for Jahmyr Gibbs. Miller projects as a player offensive coordinator Drew Petzing could utilize across a versatile run-blocking repertoire—adding another dynamic layer to the Lions’ offense.

His first-step quickness, initial burst, and ability to establish a strong base rapidly consistently beat defenders off the line of scrimmage and into contact in both run blocking and pass protection, allowing him to dictate positioning early in reps and play with leverage. That early advantage shows up across a variety of block types and is a major reason for his consistency. Simply put, he doesn’t move like a player of his size, and it makes him a dependable presence snap-to-snap.

That footwork also translates cleanly into pass protection. His springy, controlled slide allows him to stay balanced and mirror rushers effectively, while maintaining the flexibility to pass off stunts and pick up blitzers. There’s clear awareness in his game—he’s constantly processing, identifying, and adapting post-snap.

But here’s what really separates Miller. He is a competitive blocker, and his finisher’s mentality is another one of his superpowers. While his raw power can be more adequate than overwhelming at times, his effort and play demeanor never waver—he’s relentless from snap to whistle, consistently working to sustain blocks and finish defenders. He looks to make opponents feel him at the end of plays, bringing an edge that shows up over the course of a game. It’s a mentality that would fit seamlessly within the Lions’ offensive identity.

Blake Miller may not have prototypical hand size (9 3/4″), but he uses his hands effectively. There’s real thud in his strikes—particularly in the run game—where he generates movement on drive blocks and down blocks. He consistently wins early at the line of scrimmage by delivering forceful, well-timed punches. It’s easy to envision Miller pairing those momentum-churning mitts on double teams with Tate Ratledge or in short-yardage situations where the Detroit Lions want to win at the point of attack.

Areas for Growth

There are times—unsurprising for an offensive tackle of his size—where Blake Miller’s pad level rises, costing him leverage in the rep. When he plays too high, his base can get too narrow, which leads to balance issues and, at times, him ending up on the ground or losing ground in the rep. It’s a technique issue that shows up more than occasionally, but it’s also coachable. Similar tendencies have surfaced at times with Taylor Decker (6-foot-7), and it’s the type of refinement offensive line coach Hank Fraley can help clean up, to some degree, at the next level.

Another area where Blake Miller could use refinement is his hand placement consistency. While his punch can be a weapon when timed correctly, there are moments—more often in pass protection—where his hands are late or mistimed, and at times set too wide. When his hands get outside his frame, and defenders establish inside leverage on his chest, Miller can lose control of the rep and slide off blocks. These issues often show up in conjunction with higher pad level and a narrower base, with the combination leading to some of his more inconsistent reps.

Blake Miller enters the evaluation process as a four-year starter at right tackle with extremely limited experience elsewhere (two starts at left tackle and only 24 snaps in-line or as a move tight end). That lack of positional versatility could impact how some teams stack him on their boards, both relative to other offensive tackles who offer more flexibility and against prospects at other positions when teams are grouping and tiering players. However, it’s unlikely to be a significant negative in the eyes of the Detroit Lions, who have position flexibility with Penei Sewell and already have some of their interior players.