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Lions Draft Tackle Blake Miller at No. 17 After Trade Collapse

5/2/2026

Summary

Lions Draft Miller

The Detroit Lions selected tackle Blake Miller at No. 17 in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Lions GM Brad Holmes said the team considered trading up but stayed at No. 17 after talks with the Los Angeles Rams collapsed when the Rams chose quarterback Ty Simpson.
Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said a trade fell apart, leaving Baltimore out of the teens and without a fourth-round pick in each of the next two drafts.

Summary

Lions Hire Petzing

Detroit hired Drew Petzing as offensive coordinator, replacing John Morton after 2025.
The 2026 offensive line includes Sewell, Mahogany, Mays, Ratledge and rookie Blake Miller.
Losing Lopez and Reader left Detroit without a nose tackle, prompting analysts to predict a shift to a 3-4 base defense that employs edge rushers Hutchinson and Wonnum.
Offseason signings added Ben Bartch, Larry Borom, Juice Scruggs via trade and Sorsdal, who returned from ACL.

Summary

Lions Draft Rolder

Detroit drafted Michigan linebacker Jimmy Rolder and defensive end Derrick Moore, reflecting Dan Campbell (coach)’s gritty identity.
Daniel Jeremiah (analyst) likened Rolder’s style to Evel Knievel, noting his 57 tackles, two sacks, 13 pressures, a 74.8 PFF grade and an 80.1 run-defense rating.
Jeremiah praised Moore, noting his 10 sacks, 30 tackles, an 89.9 PFF grade, All-Big Ten honors and trade of picks No. 50 and No. 128 to select him at No. 44.

History

Historical Context

After the Lions’ 0-16 2008 season, GM Martin Mayhew and coach Jim Schwartz used the No. 1 2009 pick for quarterback Matthew Stafford and the No. 2 2010 pick for defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who signed a five-year, $68 million deal and earned Defensive Rookie of the Year. In 2026 GM Brad Holmes kept team at No. 17 after a failed Rams trade, underscoring reliance on draft position to end playoff drought.

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Lions Draft Miller

The Detroit Lions selected tackle Blake Miller at No. 17 in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Lions GM Brad Holmes said the team considered trading up but stayed at No. 17 after talks with the Los Angeles Rams collapsed when the Rams chose quarterback Ty Simpson.
Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said a trade fell apart, leaving Baltimore out of the teens and without a fourth-round pick in each of the next two drafts.

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