Lions draft pick Blake Miller explains 'happenstance' path to becoming a right tackle
New Detroit Lions offensive tackle Blake Miller has a fun story about how he became the right tackle at Clemson.
Lions draft pick Blake Miller explains 'happenstance' path to becoming a right tackle originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The 2026 NFL Draft always produces some great stories and new Detroit Lions offensive tackle Blake Miller has a good one.
Miller, who was the No. 17 pick of the Lions on Thursday night, played right tackle in college, and his path to becoming one was interesting. After playing at left tackle in high school, Miller revealed that he ended up as a right tackle simply because he chose the shorter warm-up line upon arriving at practice at Clemson.
From there, his position was solidified. "All throughout high school, I was a left tackle," Miller said. "I get to Clemson and I look, and the way we did warm-up lines, obviously, we had left tackle, left guard, center, right guard, right tackle.
"And the warm-up line was whoever was in there, and so (the right tackle) line was a little shorter, and just kind of by happenstance hopped in there, started repping there. With God's grace, it worked out for me. " Miller went on to become a stalwart at right tackle for Clemson and is now heading to Detroit to continue his football career with the Lions.