CLEMSON – Years of consistency–making 54 starts, never missing a game and only one practice, and playing 3,778 snaps–paid off for Blake Miller at the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, Pa., Thursday night.

The offensive tackle was selected by the Detroit Lions with pick No. 17, making him the first Clemson offensive lineman selected in the first round of an NFL Common Draft.

“The closer we got to the draft, his consistency and what he was able to do, the steadiness he provided, it was good production week in and week out,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said to FOX 2 Sports in Detroit after the Lions picked Miller. “We like this guy. We think he’s got upside. He’s got a high floor and a high ceiling too that he can get to.”

Last season, the Lions’ offensive line ranked 12th among the 32 NFL teams, led by Pro-Bowl tackle Penei Sewell and rookie right guard Tate Ratledge. Campbell believes that Miller, primarily a right tackle, can bolster the room and move Sewell, who at one point was the highest-paid offensive lineman in history, to left tackle.

On Thursday, Detroit’s front office used their first pick on a offensive linemen for the first time since 2021, when Sewell was selected at pick No. 7 in Campbell’s first draft at the helm.

“I think that’s the thought here, I’ve talked to Penei and that’s what I’d like to do and certainly this helps,” Campbell said. “Blake’s played all right tackle… and like I told Blake, ‘Hey, we’re making this move. You got to come in and earn that.’”

Along with his consistency and overall intangibles, Miller’s size and athleticism played a large role in the Lions’ first-round selection. Standing 6-foot-6 and 315 pounds, Miller was the tallest tackle taken in the first round, and the fourth overall.

Additionally, with a 1.79-second 10-yard-dash split and a 32-inch vertical jump, Miller earned a 9.9 out of 10 Relative Athleticism score, and used his physicality to allow only two sacks and 14 pressures in 2025. As a freshman in 2022, the Strongsville, Ohio native allowed 25 pressures, starting every game since and improving each year.

“There’s a lot of things I love about the way he plays the game,” Campbell said. “There’s a way that he prepares, a way that he trains to get ready, all of those things. But really when you turn on the tape, the guy is a physical finisher, man. That’s what he does. And he’s got versatility, obviously pass pro and run game, so we feel like he’s a really good fit for us.”

Campbell and the Lions will have a chance to select their next pick Friday, as they hold the No. 50 pick in the second round of the Draft. Similarly, several of Miller’s former Clemson teammates will look to be selected in the second and third rounds on Friday, broadcasted at 7 p.m., on ESPN. 

Thanks to Miller’s consistency, size, and history, however, the anticipation for the lineman is over. Now, it’s time for the veteran to head 160 miles north of his hometown to join the 2023 and 2024 NFC North Champions.

As Campbell put it, “He’s a really good fit for us.”