Sports

Detroit Lions Fans Believe Blake Miller Is 'Safe' Pick

By Christian Booher Sports Illustrated

The Detroit Lions did not waste any time adding to their offensive line.

With their first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Lions selected Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller with the No. 17 overall pick. Miller is an experienced tackle, starting 54 games over four years for the Tigers.

Evaluators have held Miller's football IQ in high regard, which fits what the Lions have desired from their players under general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell. He looks to be an option to start at tackle opposite of Penei Sewell.

Because Miller's experience in college has been almost exclusively at right tackle, there's a chance that the Lions could move All-Pro Penei Sewell to the left side after they released Taylor Decker earlier this offseason.

The first round of the draft had plenty of twists and turns following the widely assumed Las Vegas Raiders selection of Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Surprises included the Tennessee Titans drafting receiver Carnell Tate fourth overall, the Giants taking Francis Mauigoa 10th and the Rams selecting quarterback Ty Simpson 13th overall.

With all of this unfolding, the Lions elected to stand pat after numerous reports of them looking to potentially trade up. In particular, a popular pre-draft rumor was that the team was looking to make a move up for a player like Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor.

Ultimately, Proctor was drafted 12th overall by the Miami Dolphins. He was the third offensive tackle off the board, after Spencer Fano going ninth to the Browns and Mauigoa 10th to the Giants.

As the Lions' pick grew closer, clear targets started to emerge. Miami defensive end Rueben Bain and Penn State offensive guard Vega Ioane were both available following the 13th pick. However, Ioane was drafted by the Ravens at 14 and Bain was off the board the following pick.

That left just one team before the Lions, that being the New York Jets. The Jets took tight end Kenyon Sadiq, setting the stage for the Lions to fill arguably their biggest pre-draft need with the selection of Miller.

After parting ways with Decker, the Lions clearly had a need to add depth at the tackle position. They added Larry Borom on a one-year contract, but Miller has the potential to be a long-term answer at the position if all goes well.

Another popular Lions mock draft target was Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling, who went 19th overall to the Carolina Panthers.

Early returns from the fan base have been promising, with one fan writing, "ecstatic," and another commenting, "Got our guy," in response to the selection.

However, local radio analyst Marc Ryan was not pleased with the pick. He had been adamant about not wanting the team to make this selection, as he covered Clemson and was not impressed with the Tigers and Miller during his time in South Carolina.

Here's a snippet of the fan base's reaction to the Lions' decision to draft Miller with the 17th overall pick.



This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi as Detroit Lions Fans Believe Blake Miller Is 'Safe' Pick .

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This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 8:42 PM.

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