When the Detroit Lions turned in their card for Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller at No. 17, it looked like a straightforward, stay-put selection.
It wasn’t.
General manager Brad Holmes acknowledged after the draft that Detroit explored multiple avenues to move up in the first round. Now, a clearer picture is emerging of just how serious those efforts were, and how close the Lions may have come to pulling the trigger.
Rams were one of the calls
One of those conversations came with the Los Angeles Rams, who held the No. 13 overall pick.
According to reporting from The Athletic, the Lions checked in on a potential move up, but nothing materialized.
“The Detroit Lions had interest in moving up, a team source said,” The Athletic reported, “but the return didn’t excite in a draft that thinned out considerably by Day 3 due to so many college players returning for name, image and likeness compensation.”
That lines up with Holmes’ philosophy. He’s aggressive when necessary, but rarely at the expense of long-term value.
A second deal may have been closer than it appeared
The more intriguing possibility involves the Baltimore Ravens.
While not officially confirmed, multiple details suggest Detroit may have been the mystery team involved in a near-deal with Baltimore at No. 14.
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta told The Athletic that a trade was essentially in place, before the other team backed out at the last moment.
“We had something on the table, but inexplicably they told us they’d changed their mind,” DeCosta said. “They changed the deal (and made another offer that wasn’t as good), and we passed.”
The structure of the deal reportedly would have kept Baltimore in the teens, a move from 14 to 17 fits that description, while netting the Ravens additional fourth-round picks in future drafts.
Detroit, notably, lacked third-round capital this year, making that type of compensation plausible.
What changed?
Timing appears to be everything.
Right before Baltimore went on the clock, the Rams made a surprising move, selecting quarterback Ty Simpson. That decision may have altered Detroit’s entire outlook.
Holmes hinted as much after the draft.
“Just kinda seeing how it started to fall, probably about when we got to about right after LA took the quarterback, I felt pretty good that we might be able to just get Blake,” he said.
In other words, once the board shifted, the urgency to trade up disappeared.
Patience pays off
Instead of surrendering additional draft capital, the Lions stayed at No. 17, and still landed a player they had targeted.
Miller, a 54-game starter at Clemson, fills an immediate need at tackle and fits the profile Detroit covets along the offensive line.
It’s a reminder that sometimes the best move is the one you don’t make.
The bottom line
The Lions were closer to moving up than it appeared on draft night.
They made calls. They explored deals. They may have even had one lined up.
But when the board shifted, they trusted it.
And in the end, they walked away with their guy, without paying extra to get him.
