For the No.17 overall pick, the Detroit Lions drafted Clemson Tigers' offensive tackle, Blake Miller. Just hours after his draft call, the rookie tackle got messages from inside the locker room. And there was Lions quarterback Jared Goff in that list as fans made their feelings clear.

The Detroit Lions shared Miller’s media clip on April 24. The rookie spoke about hearing from teammates and how it motivated him.

"Tay [Taylor Decker] reached out to me. It was kind of crazy when I was reading a text at the bottom, it said Jared Goff," said Miller. "That was a little surreal moment for me, but those guys had reached out."

Goff's excitement comes from the help he will receive from Miller. Standing 6-foot-7 and weighing 317 pounds, he adds a powerful presence to an offensive line in need of reinforcements to better protect the quarterback.

But looks like the fans were not expecting Detroit to draft Miller. He came in at No. 31 on Wide Left’s consensus big board. So taking him at 17 qualifies as a bit of a reach.

More so, when Brad Holmes was expected to add an offensive tackle, with Georgia Bulldogs tackle Monroe Freeling still on the board. That brings focus to the comment section of the video.

“I wonder if Taylor Decker reached out," a fan wrote.

That comment comes off after the Lions moved on quickly after Taylor Decker left, drafting Blake Miller right away. The former Lions refused to return to Detroit when he was offered a pay cut.

"Miller is good, but Brad choked. He should've traded up for Bain Jr after his slide," a fan commented in another video that went viral, capturing the fans' mixed reactions.

So, fans saw Rueben Bain Jr. as a better option than Miller. Though undersized, Bain makes up for it with overwhelming strength, quickness, and the ability to bend around the edge.

With Decker out, what awaits Miller in Detroit?

Detroit Lions Must Reshape the Line Around Blake Miller

The focus now shifts to how the line will be rebuilt, especially around Penei Sewell. Across four seasons at Clemson, Miller logged 54 starts, 52 at right tackle and two at left tackle. With that in mind, Sewell appears set to shift to left tackle sooner.

Head coach Dan Campbell has already dropped a hint.

“I think that’s the thought here. I’ve talked to Penei,” Campbell told Fox 2 Sports. “That’s what I’d like to do, and certainly this helps.”

But then Miller will have to earn his ground as the Lions head coach hinted at a competition for the right tackle spot with Larry Borom. Meanwhile, the pressure is already rising as Miller is compared to Decker, whom he indirectly replaced.

"Decker is a left tackle, while Miller is a plug-and-play right tackle, but both are relentless and have good power, experience, toughness, and size," said analyst Todd McShay.

Detroit will likely let competition and pressure play out, ensuring the best combination rises to the top.

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Written by

Anjali Thakur

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar