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Grit,
Guts,
and No
Missed
Games:
Lions
Bet Big
on
Clemson's
Blake
Miller
Dusty
Schoenherr
- Sports
Tell Us
Detroit
News
Bureau
DETROIT
– The
Detroit
Lions
have
fortified
their
offensive
front,
selecting
Clemson
offensive
tackle
Blake
Miller
with the
17th
overall
pick in
the 2026
NFL
Draft.
Known
for an
ironman
streak
that
stretches
back to
his
middle
school
days,
Miller
brings a
grit
mentality
and a
refined
technical
approach
to a
Lions
team
already
boasting
one of
the
league’s
most
feared
offensive
lines.
Speaking
from his
hometown
of
Strongsville,
Ohio,
Miller
expressed
an
immediate
kinship
with the
identity
established
by Lions
leadership.
During
the
pre-Draft
process,
the
Clemson
product
noted
that the
organization's
emphasis
on
toughness
resonated
with his
own
playing
style.
He
mentioned
that he
loves
the grit
and the
standard
that is
emphasized
in
Detroit
and that
he truly
wants to
uphold
it.
Miller’s
collegiate
career
was
defined
by his
availability
and
physicality,
traits
highly
valued
by the
Lions
coaching
staff.
Miller
revealed
he
cannot
recall
ever
missing
a game
at any
level of
organized
football,
a
testament
to his
durability
and
commitment
to his
teammates.
He noted
that if
he is
able to
play, he
feels he
owes it
to his
teammates
and the
behind-the-scenes
staff to
be on
the
field.
The
selection
sets up
a
formidable
pairing,
as
Miller
joins
All-Pro
tackle
Penei
Sewell.
Miller
admitted
to being
a
long-time
student
of
Sewell’s
game,
citing
the
veteran’s
ability
to move
in space
and his
effective
hand
usage as
benchmarks
for his
own
development.
He
stated
he
cannot
wait to
sit in
the same
room as
Sewell
and pick
his
brain.
While
Miller
prides
himself
on the
nuance
and
technical
aspects
of the
position,
he was
candid
about
the
aggressive
nature
of life
in the
trenches.
When
asked
what
drew him
to the
offensive
line,
Miller
said the
biggest
reason
is the
ability
to take
an
opponent's
will and
put them
in the
ground.
The
Lions'
decision
to
target
Miller
addresses
both
immediate
depth
and
long-term
stability.
He has a
proven
ability
to
switch
between
right
and left
tackle,
as seen
during
his
junior
year
against
Pittsburgh,
and
carries
a
high-effort
attitude
developed
under
the
culture
at
Clemson.
As the
Lions
look to
build on
their
recent
success,
Miller’s
arrival
signals
a clear
intent
to
continue
winning
at the
line of
scrimmage.
For
Miller,
the goal
for his
rookie
season
remains
simple:
to work
as hard
as
humanly
possible
to be
the best
player
he can
be
wherever
he is
needed.
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