With the 17th overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions went with help on the offensive side of the ball, selecting offensive tackle Blake Miller of Clemson.
He arrives in Detroit highly regarded, having played four years at Clemson, during which he started 54 games with the school and ultimately established a new record with 3,778 snaps from scrimmage.
Additionally, Miller became just the 25th player in school history to earn at least three career All-ACC selections, while nearly 97 percent of his total snaps came at right tackle.
On Friday at the club’s practice facility in Allen Park, general manager Brad Holmes met with media members and revealed that he nearly pulled off a major move prior to the selection of Miller.
Brad Holmes Reveals The Detroit Lions Nearly Pulled Off A Trade
After multiple offensive tackles were taken before Detroit’s turn to make their selection, Holmes had considered pulling the trigger on trading up before being able to land Miller with the 17th overall pick.
“We did,” Holmes said when asked if a trade was considered. “Look, we talked to teams up, way up … to see if we can be at peace with what the capital is that you’d have to extend. But yeah, we definitely explored strongly about trading up.”
Not long after the Los Angeles Rams selected quarterback Ty Simpson, Holmes said that he felt better of Detroit’s chances of being able to land Miller.
“Right after L.A. took the quarterback, I felt pretty good that we might be able to just get Blake (at No. 17),” Holmes said. “The other thing is that there’s just a little scare of, OK, I felt like from the outside looking in, we had this big, like, tackle target on our back, so if a team behind us was in the tackle market, then they might want to jump us as well.
“We definitely explored that, but right about 14, I felt pretty good that we would be able to keep our assets and still land Blake.”
Detroit Lions Insider Tim Twentyman Approves Of The Selection
Among the accolades that Miller brings to Detroit from his years at Clemson include the following:
- First-team All-ACC (2024, 2025)
- 2023 Third-team All-ACC
- 2022 Freshman All-American
- 2022 ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year (College Football Network)
- Clemson record holder for career snaps (3,778)
Insider Tim Twentyman, who writes for the official Lions’ website, expressed his optimism with the selection of Miller while also noting that he fits many of Detroit’s needs.
“The great thing about having an All-Pro player like Penei Sewell, who can play both tackle spots, is the Lions could focus on finding the right offensive tackle for them and not worry about what side,” Twentyman wrote. “Miller fits the Lions profile from a size, athleticism and experience standpoint, having made 54 starts over his four seasons at Clemson. Miller should come in and compete with veteran Larry Borom for the starting spot at right tackle in 2026.”
The Lions aim to return to the playoffs in the upcoming season, and they hope Miller can help play a role in that goal.
Brad Holmes Reveals Lions Almost Made Major Move At 2026 NFL Draft