Lions ‘explored strongly’ 1st-round trade up for Blake Miller

TL;DR

The Detroit Lions considered trading up in the 2026 NFL Draft to select Clemson tackle Blake Miller but ultimately decided against it. They successfully drafted Miller at pick 17 without sacrificing any assets.

Key points

Lions explored trading up for Blake Miller in the 2026 NFL Draft
They ultimately drafted Miller at pick 17
Lions retained their second-round pick and seven Day 3 picks

Blake MillerTerrion ArnoldTy SimpsonDetroit Lions

The pick is in for Terrion Arnold, cornerback from Alabama, for the Detroit Lions in the main theater on Thursday, April 25, 2024 for the first round of the NFL draft in Detroit. | Mandi Wright / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images While the Detroit Lions may not have been explicitly targeting an offensive tackle in the 2026 NFL Draft, they had to be happy without how the board initially fell. Through the first eight picks, there wasn’t a single offensive tackle off the board. However, the Cleveland Browns took Utah tackle Spencer Fano with the ninth pick. Then the New York Giants took Miami’s Francis Mauigoa with the very next pick. Kadyn Proctor went two picks later to the Miami Dolphins at 12. In Allen Park while that was that was happening, Lions general manager Brad Holmes started to explore a trade up for the player they eventually drafted at 17, Clemson tackle Blake Miller. “We did, yeah,” Holmes said regarding talks of a trade up. “We talked to teams up—way up—and we just talked about (it) and tried to see if we can be at peace with what the capital is that you’d have to expend. But we definitely explored strongly about trading up.” It’s not clear which teams they talked to and what the price would have been to make that move, but, obviously, the price was too rich for Holmes to pull the trigger. Instead, they waited patiently for the board to fall, hoping Miller would still be available by 17. And when the —with Pick 13—made the most shocking pick of the first round with quarterback , Holmes had a pretty good feeling they were in the clear the rest of the way. “Right after LA took the quarterback, I felt pretty good that we might be able to just get Blake,” Holmes said. Complicating the Lions’ decisions on Thursday night was the fear that another team may try to jump Detroit. It was no secret that the Lions were in the offensive tackle market, and “I felt like, from the outside looking in, we had this big tackle target on our backs,” Holmes said. “So if a team behind us was in the tackle market then they might want to jump us as well. So, we definitely explored [a trade up], but right about (Pick) 14 I felt pretty good that we would be able to keep our assets and still land Blake.” Patience turned out to be a virtue for Detroit, as they got their player and kept their picks. They’ll enter Day 2 with their second-round pick intact (50th overall), and they still have seven Day 3 picks to play around with.

Q&A

Why did the Detroit Lions consider trading up for Blake Miller?

The Lions aimed to secure Blake Miller as they recognized the demand for offensive tackles and wanted to avoid losing him to another team.

What was the outcome of the Lions' trade discussions for the draft?

The Lions explored trade options but chose to stay put and successfully drafted Blake Miller at pick 17.

How many picks do the Lions have remaining after the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft?

The Lions have their second-round pick intact at 50th overall and still possess seven picks for Day 3 of the draft.

Lions ‘explored strongly’ 1st-round trade up for Blake Miller

TL;DR

Key points

Q&A

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