With Taylor Decker forcing his way out of Ford Field, the Detroit Lions had to use their first-round pick on his replacement. They took Clemson star Blake Miller, perhaps the most athletic OT prospect in a first-round class stacked at the position.
Miller's arrival forced Penei Sewell to the left side of the offensive line. As a four-year starter in college, and with Larry Borom as his competition, he looked like a lock to start at right tackle right out of the gate.
That may not be the case. The Lions didn't have a rookie minicamp, and judging by Dan Campbell's latest comments, it sounds like Miller is just learning the ropes and dealing with the wear and tear of pro football.
Blake Miller might be a work in progress for the Detroit Lions
"It's just, it's early. There's things he learns every day. Look, even for not being a physical aspect to this with pads, that D-line doesn't cut him really any slack either. Whoever lines up over him is trying to (make things difficult)," said Campbell.
He then added, "So, Sewell went through it a little bit, Hutch went through it a little bit. They just kind of all want their (successful reps). Not in a bad way. So, he's learning. As long as he continues to grow and just take these small steps every day, he'll be fine."
That clearly doesn't sound like a player who's ready to start. Of course, that's not necessarily bad, and the Lions are doing the right thing by being patient with their prized rookie and taking things as slowly as he may need.
That said, this team won't have any margin for error, and going from having the sturdiest and best right tackle in the game to having Larry Borom there is certainly a downgrade, with all due respect. Perhaps they can't afford to be as patient with him as other teams.
As athletic and strong as he is, Miller doesn't have great bend and plays too upright most of the time. That spells trouble against elite pass rushers at the next level. That said, he'll get to go against Aidan Hutchinson every day in practice, so he should have more than enough time and reps to get up to speed.
He has the physical traits and the football IQ to be a solid pickup and anchor the Lions' offensive line for the next decade-plus, but again, not all teams follow the same timeline. The Lions are built to win now, and they need players who can contribute in 2026 and not just in the future.
Expectations will be high for a first-round pick, and the fans often expect rookie tackles to be battle-tested and NFL-ready. Doing that with Miller might be setting oneself up for disappointment, and unless he makes huge strides between now and training camp, it doesn't sound like he'll play that much early on in his rookie season.
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