One of the most anticipated debuts for the Detroit Lions in the preseason opener was right tackle Blake Miller. The rookie first-round pick was going to get his first NFL action, and the Cincinnati Bengals were playing their starters, so he would get to face strong competition right off the bat.
Head coach Dan Campbell did not want to get ahead of himself, and he admitted he only had so much time to give that one player.
However, his first read on how Miller played was positive. Campbell said that the fact that attention was not on Miller was a good thing, and that he just did his job.
If Miller had been struggling or looked like he was out of his depth, it would have been noticeable to the coaching staff. He fit in, which is a great thing to hear on the offensive line.
Detroit Lions Send Positive Message on Rookie Right Tackle Blake Miller’s Debut
Most of the reaction to Miller has been positive. Brian Baldinger of the NFL Network noted that he thought Miller looked like he belonged.
Former NFL offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz had a similar takeaway. He said that Miller looked like he belonged, and that his biggest takeaway was how sharp the rookie looked mentally.
These two are not the end-all, but they do study the offensive line and know what they are talking about. Their sentiment matches what Campbell was saying as well. Miller did not stick out with highlight blocks, but that is not expected. However, Campbell thought he blended in and looked like a pro.
Baldinger and Schwartz independently agreed that their biggest takeaway is that he looked like he belonged.
It is hard to walk away from the preseason opener and not be happy with how Miller performed.
Lions Right Tackle Competition is Not Over Yet
GettyLarry Borom
Campbell did add that veteran right tackle Larry Borom was in the same boat as Miller. The head coach did not notice either of them. So, while Miller did have a strong performance, he did not quite break away from Borom yet.
Borom started in 12 games last season and has 38 career starts. He was signed to be a swing tackle, but he is also here to push Miller. Still, Miller is already ahead of him on the depth chart.
He started, and while Borom did not lose ground, Miller showed no reason why he would anticipate being benched for the veteran. One of the best traits that stood out to the Lions when drafting Miller was his experience level.
He was a four-year starter with 3,263 career snaps on the right side. He was drafted in part because he was a safe evaluation and because the thought was that he could get on the field soon.
So far, he has lived up to what the Lions expected when they drafted him. While it has not been officially declared yet, Miller just needs one or two more weeks like this past one, and the job will be his.
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