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Detroit Lions selects Blake Miller in first round of 2026 NFL Draft

Barkley-Truaxby: Barkley Truax04/24/26BarkleyTruax

The Detroit Lions have selected former Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Miller spent four seasons with the Tigers before turning pro.

Miller is a two-time First-team All-ACC performer at right tackle. He’s started all 54 games he played in at the collegiate level. That’s good for the most consecutive starts by a non-specialist in program history. He’s also the all-time leader in snaps player for Clemson since the school started keeping track in 1986.

“It wasn’t surprising that he played in (Clemson’s) bowl game because he doesn’t opt out of anything or miss any games. Has a team-first mindset,” one AFC regional scout said of Miller.

This past season, he played 808 total snaps, letting up 14 pressures, two hits and two sacks while being penalized five times during the season. However, he was an efficient pass-blocker, as his PFF pass-blocking grade (81.6) ranked 33rd among 632 qualified OT’s in 2025.

Before college, Miller was a four-star recruit according to the Rivals Industry Rankings, which is a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. He was the No. 173 overall player in the 2022 cycle, as well as the 12th-rated offensive tackle.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Blake Miller

Now that Miller has been drafted, his new fanbase may want to know what to expect out of their newest offensive lineman. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein provided in-depth analysis on the former Clemson standout.

“Ultimate iron man at right tackle with 54 career starts. Miller has unusual lateral quickness and fluidity in space despite playing too upright. His hands lack accuracy and command in both phases, but he can recover and make blocks with a finisher’s mindset. Miller is rarely beaten by rush games, but he has his edges attacked because of his hand issues. He will encounter difficulties at the next level without better pad level, core strength and cleaner technique. If he tightens up in those areas, Miller can become a solid NFL right tackle.”