With the 17th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions selected offensive tackle Blake Miller, who had spent the last four seasons at Clemson University, where he had started 54 consecutive games and ultimately established a new record with 3,778 snaps from scrimmage.
So far, the selection of Miller has been met with mostly positive reviews from Lions fans, who are looking forward to how he can contribute to their offensive line.
General manager Brad Holmes met with local media members on Friday afternoon at the club’s official practice facility in Allen Park, and explained the reasoning behind the selection of Miller.
Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes Explains Why Blake Miller Was Selected
Holmes revealed that he had been tracking the progress of Miller each year that he was at Clemson University, and the thought of him contributing to the Lions was too good to pass up.
Not only did Holmes tout Miller’s urgency and athleticism, but also the room for even further improvement.
“His urgency and athleticism, that was the first thing that really kind of caught my eye,” Holmes said of Miller. “I thought he had some things that he needed to work on from a strength-development standpoint, but I said – so this is off of ’23 tape – I was like, ‘Man, if this guy gets stronger, man, this guy’s a football player here.’
“And sure enough, ’24 came, he got better. And ’25, it was like, ’25, it was to the point where it was like, ‘Yeah, there’s no issues here.’ And it’s a testament to him and his work ethic, so I’m not surprised ’cause this guy’s a high football-character individual.”
Additionally, Miller’s body of work naturally has the Lions and the rest of their staff “fired up”, as Holmes put it.
“I’ll tell you what, when you think about Blake Miller, you sleep easy,” Holmes said. “You sleep very, very good at night, and so that’s what gets us fired up.”
Brad Holmes Believes Miller Is A Perfect Fit With The Lions
In a clip posted to the Lions’ social media channels, Holmes places a call to Miller with a very important question for him – is he ready to be a member of the Detroit Lions?
“You ready to be a Lion?” Holmes said over the phone to Miller. “… We’re going to pick you right here, all right? … Fired up for you man. … You’re a total fit. You’re a total fit. You’re everything we’re about.”
Seconds after speaking with Miller, Holmes handed the phone to head coach Dan Campbell, who expressed his enthusiasm to welcome the new selection into the fold.
Brad Holmes Reveals Why Lions Selected Blake Miller