Lions GM Brad Holmes Drafts Blake Miller After Years of Scouting: 'This Kid's a Football Player'

Detroit Lions General Manager Brad Holmes made the call to draft Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, capping off a multi-year evaluation process.

Holmes emphasized Miller’s consistent growth during his college career and his potential for continued improvement at the professional level.

"He probably has no idea, but we've been watching Blake for about three years now and he has gotten better every single year, and that's what makes you really excited about a player like that who has a high floor but has gotten better every year."

"Coming to this level with our offensive line coach and our ecosystem, I don't see any reason he won't continue to get better."

Miller started for Clemson from 2022 to 2025, and Holmes revealed that his interest in the player solidified during Miller’s sophomore season.

"In '24, watching his '23 tape," Holmes said. "The first thing I saw was his urgency and athleticism—that was the first thing that caught my eye. ... I just wrote down, 'This kid's a football player' and I was definitely hot on the guy."

Holmes admitted the Lions explored trading up to secure Miller’s rights. However, after the Los Angeles Rams selected quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick, Holmes felt confident Miller would still be available when Detroit selected at No. 17.

"We definitely explored strongly about trading up, and seeing how it started to fall, probably after L.A. took the quarterback, I felt pretty good that we might be able to just get Blake."

"Right about 14, I felt pretty good that we would be able to keep our assets and still get Blake."

With the first-round selection secured, the Lions now anticipate Miller starting at right tackle in Week 1 of the 2025 season.