The Detroit Lions have seen a lot of movement along their offensive line this offseason. It started with the release of Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell moving from the right side to the left. The Lions still had a void upfront, which is why they selected offensive tackle Blake Miller with the 17th overall pick.
He steps into a pivotal role in year 1 and will be the Lions' starting right tackle. ESPN's Mike Clay, Aaron Schatz, and Seth Walder released an article discussing several points around all 32 teams in the league.
When talking about what's the X-factor for this team, Walder listed Miller.
"Right tackle Blake Miller. We think of the Lions as having a stalwart offensive line, but they had a serious need at right tackle after releasing veteran tackle Taylor Decker and flipping Penei Sewell to the left side. They filled it with Miller in the first round of the draft. Historically, rookie tackles are typically below average in their first season, even if they're first-rounders. We'll find out if Miller can buck that trend and, if so, keep the Lions with two good tackles to bookend their offensive line."
It's a lot to ask a rookie tackle to be a solid starter from day 1, but that's definitely what Detroit wants from Miller, putting him in the spotlight.
Lions are asking a lot from Blake Miller (and for good reason)
They already know what caliber of player that Sewell is, but having another reliable tackle upfront will open things up for this offense. Physically, Miller has everything you want in a lineman. He stands at 6-foot-6 and weighs 318 pounds. He also has 34-inch arms with broad shoulders that stand out.
Miller is quick off the snap to mirror defensive linemen with solid foot quickness as a run blocker. He was also reliable, logging 54 consecutive starts for the Clemson Tigers. While he still needs to fine- tune some things in his technique as a pass blocker, which includes "can be late to draw hands from holster, opening his chest to rushers," per The Athletic's Dane Brugler.
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Nonetheless, the Lions have hope, but the NFL is a different beast. The caliber of talent he'll be going up against weekly is massively different. And as Walder pointed out, offensive tackle has some rough patches in their rookie campaign.
Between the level of talent, strength, and other factors, offensive linemen need some time to get comfortable. Detroit certainly expects Miller to have some of those moments but the hope is he's an above average starter.
If he can do that, it will raise the ceiling of the entire offense. At the height of Detroit's success, they had a great offensive line. In order for them to regain that level again, they'll need the trenches to be dominant, and some of that falls on Miller. He has high expectations going into his rookie year, and it'll be interesting to see how he responds to that.
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