The Detroit Lions love a gritty player who can hold their own, and one that is ready to sacrifice a lot in order to help the team succeed.
Clemson Tigers offensive tackle Blake Miller was just that, and that's exactly why the Lions took him off the board at pick no. 17 in this year's NFL Draft. Miller, who flew up big boards thanks to a great combine showing and high RAS, is now switching up the big cat he represents to achieve his NFL dream.
General manager Brad Holmes told reporters following the selection, and following a quiet first round for Detroit, that Miller is the exact kind of player they were hoping to net in this year's draft.
"He just checks a lot of boxes. Really high-floor player, obviously, he's big, he's tough, he's smart, he's a finisher, he has unbelievable football character, work ethic. I mean, everything from a culture standpoint, he fits that. But, his ability is stuff...he's athletic. He's a good athlete, and it's hard to find guys who can move like that that are finishers, and that's what he is."
Lions hit a home run with Miller pick in first round
Detroit has a lot of high-character players that have set the foundation for their current team, which includes Jared Goff, Penei Sewell, and Jahmyr Gibbs, just to name a few. Adding another player like Miller, who is ready to hit the ground running on Day 1, is just a wonderful plus to an already lethal offense.
Miller is going to likely compete for the starting right tackle role with veteran Larry Borom, who the Lions signed in free agency. But, with everything we've heard about Miller, from Holmes to his former head coach Dabo Swinney, it's obvious that Miller plans on taking this competition extremely seriously.
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His availability is just a plus on top of his athleticism and floor, as he's been praised as one of the steadiest tackles available in this year's draft. His health, toughness, and evidently his play all made him the perfect pick for the Lions to make in the first round. It would've been tough to find anyone similar on Day 2, so it was great to see Detroit strike when they did.
Miller will get a shot to flex his athleticism coupled with his size beginning in mid-July, when rookies are expected to report for training camp for their respective teams.
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