The Detroit Lions picked Blake Miller with the No. 17 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and the reaction was split right away. Some fans liked the move, a majority of the others were not sure. But on Thursday night, head coach Dan Campbell gave his verdict on the Clemson Tigers player.

"He's solid. He's steady, man. He can do it all,” Campbell told the FOX 2 sports reporter. “He plays physical in the run game. Freaking smart, tough, got length, moves well. We just, we feel like this guy can come in and compete and help us with the O-line.”

At Clemson, Miller where he started every game of his college career. He also earned All-ACC honors. In 2025, he had a 76.8 PFF grade and never dropped below 70 in four years, which shows he was reliable every season.

He was an important part of Clemson’s offense, helping protect quarterback Cade Klubnik in both 2024 and 2025. In 2025 alone, he played 808 snaps.

Campbell has even talked about moving Penei Sewell to left tackle. That could open up the right side, where Miller played 97% of his snaps in college.

Some fans are still not fully convinced of the pick and raised questions about the bigger picture.

“Yeah, yeah… and defense will solve itself?” one user wrote, pointing at concerns on the other side of the ball, while another fan questioned the move itself over other possible picks such as Monroe Freeling. “F****** horrible!!! It's a reach. Freeling was the better option."

For now, Lions are sticking to their plan. They are focused on taking the best player available. Miller still has to prove it, but the team believes he can handle the job.

Draft Grade Sparks Debate Despite Lions’ Strong Move

Even after playing it safe, the Detroit Lions did not get much praise for this pick. Some pointed out the fact that Blake Miller had not been listed among the top-30 visits posted by the franchise.

Many expected a higher grade, but the reaction from some experts showed a different view. That is where the talk around this move really picked up.

CBS Sports analyst Mike Renner gave the Lions a C for taking Blake Miller. He felt Detroit went with a safe and ready player instead of going for the best talent on the board.

“Miller is an explosive and experienced offensive tackle who will fit in with their culture,” Renner said. "This likely confirms Penei Sewell moving to the left side. I went lower because it felt like they picked readiness over best player available.”

Miller was one of the most reliable players at Clemson. The captain played through a wrist injury suffered during spring practice, handled a heavy workload, and allowed only two sacks in his final year.

Analysts such as Brent Rollins still feel that the franchise could have looked at players like Monroe Freeling or even gone with another offensive lineman, as many mock drafts had suggested earlier.

Written by

Anjali Thakur

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote