Passing Time: Detroit Lions Talk

Passing Time: Detroit Lions Talk - BLAKE MILLER - 2026 Detroit Lions Draft Night Reactions

• Brian & Rob • Season 2 • Episode 49

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Detroit Lions draft reaction, Blake Miller Lions, Lions draft pick 2026, Detroit Lions offensive line, Brad Holmes draft strategy, Lions Clemson OT Blake Miller, Lions draft analysis, Detroit Lions podcast, Passing Time podcast, Lions GRIT index

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SPEAKER_00

You're listening to Passing Time, a Detroit Lions podcast. We're one pride and all grit with a passion for Detroit Lions football. Whether you're between meetings, between classes, sitting in traffic, or just relaxing at home, if you have time to pass, pass it with Passing Time. Detroit Lions Talk.

SPEAKER_02

What did we just see? Round one is over, Brian. Draft Day! Um one of the biggest wildcard drafts unfolds. A lot of chalk, but some wild moves in there.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I mean, it was just one of those one of those drafts that after pick one, you just didn't know what was going to happen.

SPEAKER_02

Episode 49. Thanks for tuning in. This is an instant short on the draft recap from uh Passing Time, a Detroit Lions podcast. Uh we appreciate you. And uh we wanted to give you a little insight into what we thought after tuning in live over here on draft night. Um so kind of take me take me from the top to the bottom, real quick, Brian, on what you saw from from obviously number one was chalk, and then you saw some different moves in there in the beginning of the draft.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so number one, you know, mess, you know, we we had our quarterback go right away to Fernando Mendoza won't be able to right away to the Raiders. We we knew that was happening for how long now?

SPEAKER_02

A long time. Well, did David Bailey was not a foregone conclusion.

SPEAKER_01

No, and then number two, uh David Bailey, a little bit of a surprise, you know, was Reese gonna go um and and come you know be in competition for that two spot, um, but uh the Jets decided to go with that little bit more standard edge at that spot, and I I think it was a good pick.

SPEAKER_02

Next two picks, Jeremiah Love and Carnell Tate, both a little bit surprising.

SPEAKER_01

A little bit surprising. I I love the fact that Love went went uh went that high. I think that the Lions have now reset the standard in value for the the running backs with Jameer Gibbs, you know, being able to draft a guy like that. Um, you know, the the value of him is it or the I guess the the projection of his is somewhere between a Jameer Gibbs and a and a um Bijan Robinson. Bij John Robinson. Um is it you know he's he's a guy that's twitchy and in he can catch the ball out of the backfield. He he's a weapon, not just a running back.

SPEAKER_02

Because we're not gonna go through all 32 picks, but also loves backup running back at Notre Dame, which is a testament to Notre Dame. Jadarian Price went 32 to the Seahawks, which is wild. Wild that they have two first-round running backs. Yeah uh running backs barely go in the first round. Right. Um, they have two first rounders. Carnell Tate goes four to the Titans.

SPEAKER_01

Uh a little bit of a surprise as it went down to the Kansas City Chiefs, who moved up to get a corner. Um, and uh, you know, Delane, one of those guys that you know, I guess they couldn't couldn't pass up.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, and so Arvell Reese slips to five to the Giants. The Giants are the Giants are just sitting there holding the bag. Sonny Styles slips to the commanders at seven, feeling pretty good. Tyson goes eight to the to the Saints. Um Tyson's a guy that's probably maybe the most talented wide receiver there, but he's got some injury history and um he's got a brother in the NBA, a first-round draft pick, good bloodlines. Um when healthy is a playmaking wide receiver.

SPEAKER_01

Yep, and and then surprising enough, the the number one overall tackle that everybody's kind of the consensus on didn't go number one as the tackle. Uh, but Fanu, um the the Spencer Fanu with the tackle out of Utah uh to the Cleveland Browns at nine.

SPEAKER_02

And then Maryoga goes 10 to the Giants. The Giants just uh they get Arvel Reese, they get Francis Mauioga.

SPEAKER_01

Sneaky good draft already from those guys um in order to uh to to trade Dexter Lawrence in order to get that 10th pick, too.

SPEAKER_02

So 11 and 12 interesting picks. So the Cowboys come up and get Caleb Downs, who was a guy that, you know, you you keep the tether on him because you know, if the if he falls for the Lions, that's an interesting pick. Also, you know, the Dolphins fall back and they take Caden Proctor, who was long talked about as a as a guy that the Lions were monitoring.

SPEAKER_01

One of the candidates that we you know the smoke screen was out there that Caden Proctor was linked to the Lions for for how long now? And um, I just I feel like that was more smoke than it was fire.

SPEAKER_02

So here's where the shock of the world came. Yeah, we're sitting there, if you're watching our live feed, you and uh three other people. Uh Ty Simpson goes 13 to the Rams, which was like a wow factor, right? It's like basically it's a FU Stafford. Uh this is franchise building for the long term, and we're not gonna just sell out for one more Super Bowl run.

SPEAKER_01

And it's surprising only because you you the the the rumors you're hearing is that they're trying to extend uh Stafford or give them at least a little bit more uh capital, you know, to be here for one more year, but you also hear from Stafford like this is my last one.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. So and then you know, 14, a little bit of a heartbreaker there. Vega I own A goes to the Ravens, which everybody projected, right? Uh guy that we were hoping that was available for the Lions, and that was where like the pain was felt a little bit. And then you go to the next pick, and uh the you know Lalone, who usually sits here sometimes, and then Brian sits here, and they were really watching Bane fall and fall and fall, and they got their hopes up, like they were asking a girl that didn't have a date to the prom and they were waiting her out until the day before the prom and and somebody scooped her up, and uh, I saw some sad faces. It was sad faces, you know.

SPEAKER_01

But uh uh, you know, that idea of having one of those pretty, pretty elite edges, or the top three edges in the draft in order to fall to the lions at 17, and uh, you know, it it it tickled my fancy, if you will.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, and then Kenyan Sadiq goes, which is you know, like uh there was like some hype around like could the Lions take Sadiq and what would that look like? It'd be so exciting. Obviously, a more of a luxury pick. Luxury pick.

SPEAKER_01

You know, uh the lions like the the thing is the lions have way more needs currently at the at this at this time um than be able to let them tell for a luxury pick.

SPEAKER_02

So so we're on edge here right now, right, Brian? Like we're we're building ourselves up. This is a lions pick. We're we're at we're at 17.

SPEAKER_01

But we're feeling good because there's still one guy that we're really excited about in order to fall to the lions and feel still a position of need, um, and we feel like it has a pretty pretty good ceiling, high ceiling. You know, the floor is questionable.

SPEAKER_02

So the floor is very questionable. Um, but the floor is questionable with all these picks, right? Like, we don't know. Like, we're a couple guys sitting in chairs, not really understanding. So, you know, Monroe feeling is the name that we're thinking is like, wow, all right, he's fallen.

SPEAKER_01

Can't believe he fell this far.

SPEAKER_02

And the lines are here, they're right there. Um, and the pick was in. If you were watching live on the draft, that it was like they couldn't get the graphic off quick enough that Kenyon Sadiq was picked for the Jets, and the Lions pick was in, bro.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, they they had that they already had known that the Jets were not picking Blake Miller, and that tag was in for the Detroit Lions saying this is our guy, we know this is our guy, and ultimately we have to get this guy right now.

SPEAKER_02

So we're we're sitting back kind of thinking, like, wow, Monroe Freeling, we got our left tackle of the future. Um, we got our you know our six foot eight behemoth. Um, we're kind of like digesting that a little bit. It hasn't happened. We're sitting there, and then like your your brain's already going to like, I can't wait to see Inside the Den and Brad Holmes pounding the table, that this is here, and you're kind of like, alright. And then they announced the pick, Ryan.

SPEAKER_01

And it was it was Blake Miller. Blake Miller, not Monroe Freeling, but Blake Miller.

SPEAKER_02

A guy that started for four years. So a freshman All-American, a three-time ACC, uh all-conference player, a guy that uh apparently has a pretty high grit index.

SPEAKER_01

Uh yeah, so if you looked at Eric Schlitt's grit index, he's a guy that was sixth overall. He's a guy that fits exactly what the Detroit Lions need and wanted. He's a guy that loves football, a captain, a guy that doesn't miss games, doesn't miss practices. I mean, I guess he missed one practice in four years because he had wrist surgery and then was available for the next day after the wrist surgery. Um, so I mean, he's one of those guys that's like, all right, the more I read into him, the more I'm gonna convince myself as a Lions fan that he's exactly what we need.

SPEAKER_02

So I mean, I missed a half a day of work on Tuesday for a toothache. I think my index is going low. Blake Miller, Grant index high. Yeah. So we're kind of like, all right, digesting. This was a bit of a chalky. A lot of Lions people were talking about. Like, this is kind of a Lions guy.

SPEAKER_01

And we even on this pod talked a little bit about that makes sense, right? He's a he's a Dan Campbell, he's a Brad Holmes kind of guy, he fits the culture, he fits the need, he fits exactly the the what you want to come into the locker room and compete for this position. But he's not sexy, man. He's he's not sexy, he's not exactly what you would have what we he's not what we I want them to pick. I want him to go out and get somebody that's that's gonna be sexy. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02

Tell me the last time the Lions picked sexy, though. Um Eric Ebron?

SPEAKER_01

Nah that didn't work out so hard, right?

SPEAKER_02

So, all right, so this kind of made us feel a little bit better, though. You go into 18, the Vikings are on the clock, and it's like, dude, if they run up and draft Monroe Freelancing, it's like you would feel like wow, like you you broke up with your ex-girlfriend and your best friend asked her on a date five minutes later, and you just feel like you missed out on the boat. And what do they do, Brian?

SPEAKER_01

They come out and get Caleb Banks, D tackle from Florida, which is a solid pick. Solid, solid for their defense.

SPEAKER_02

But it wasn't Monroe Freelancing.

SPEAKER_01

But it wasn't Monroe Freelancing, but what do the Carolina Panthers do the next pick after? Then they pick Monroe Freelancing. Monroe Freeland.

SPEAKER_02

So yeah, it was like, okay, there's a like I don't know. Like he's right there, he's right there, and but it wasn't the pick after, but there's a there's kind of a run on tackles, right? Because like the next pick after that was Makai Lemon to the to the Eagles because AJ Brown's gonna be a good one. AJ Brown's out. Um, and then 21. What do the Steelers do? It's hometown.

SPEAKER_01

They get max from Arizona State. So, I mean, it's it's another offensive tackle that's coming off the board.

SPEAKER_02

So uh they go to the Chargers. You know, Jim Hardwall runs up with khakis, says I want to take a 26-year-old that is basically old enough to be on our podcast.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

And uh they take Akeem Mesador, then Melchi Lawrence, uh the UFC, the UCF, Central Florida guy, who we saw anywhere from the knocked anywhere from the Lions first round pick to the Lions second round pick. I mean, a lot of these guys all over the board. He goes, the Browns get to pick, and you know the Browns like the waste picks. Uh they swim, they swing big here. Yeah. They go for KC Concepcion out of uh AM. Um, a playmaker returns punts, returns kicks, you know, a 5'10, 5'11 playmaker guy. I it's an interesting pick for a guy.

SPEAKER_01

So and you have to ask yourself, are they surrounding their surrounding Shadur Sanders with those guys? Or are you are you surrounding Deshaun Watson with those guys?

SPEAKER_02

So I don't think you're surrounding either of those guys. I think that's a shortcut. Dylan Gabriel? Yeah. I don't think I don't think it's Dylan Gabriel either. Um, but speaking of Dylan, you know, the next pick to the Bears, a good pick.

SPEAKER_01

Good pick.

SPEAKER_02

Dylan Thieneman.

SPEAKER_01

Um one of those guys that kind of fell um a little bit further than you know some folks may have thought. Uh solid pick for the Bears. I I think they got some value there for sure. Um, even though it's it's a first round and you're still picking, you know, a safety that might not be a premier position. I still think the you know, when it comes to value for that pick, it they they got something there at 25.

SPEAKER_02

Then I really feel like there's there's kind of a big tier, even after the Lions pick. I mean, I would say before the um before the Chargers, even the Steelers pick, there was kind of this big tier that hit. And then another tier after Thieneman. Um, the Texans go up and they get Keelon, Rutlich, another guard. Um Dolphins go Chris Johnson, cornerback out of San Diego State, which I maybe good players. Um obviously uh the Georgia Tech coach talked about uh Rutledge being like the best offensive lineman he's ever seen, but you you're you're you're coaching ball at Georgia Tech. So it's like I I don't know. Chris Johnson, then you got Caleb Lamu, uh was traded up for by the Patriots. Peter Woods, guy previous to this year, was mocked in the side of the top ten. Clemson um pooped the bed last year, and a lot of the Clemson guys fell, including Blake Miller, probably fell a little bit. And the Jets take their third stab at the first round, and they get Omar Cooper Jr. Um I mean they they had a very much needed wide receiver for their offense, yeah. They get two weapons on offense and one weapon on defense.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I you know, and if we kind of like break this down to who kind of won this first round, um, you know, the the Jets are definitely in contention here, you know. The the Jets had obviously the the three picks, which which obviously grows their value for those things, but they they got a the premier edge, uh the premier tight end, and then one of I guess the top you know five to six um wide receivers in the draft.

SPEAKER_02

So yeah, I mean looking at it from far, Brian mentioned you know, the Bears getting Thaneman at 25, had a had a good first round, right? Like that was something that we talked about. Um the Eagles getting Mikhail Lemon at 20, replacing one of their wide receivers. Um, even 19 Monroe Freeling to the Panthers, they they sit they sat and they waited on that. Um Cowboys moved up, got Caleb Downs. But the Giants, I mean, getting Mauioga at 10. Uh again, Arvell Reese at five. Arvell Reese was uh most people's favorite guy to go at two. Two. Um I I don't know. I think when you give grades here from from from the passing time podcast, yeah, the Giants might have they might have gotten the top grade here.

SPEAKER_01

I mean, they had two let's to give them the credit, they had two top ten picks, but they hit it out of the park with those two top ten picks.

SPEAKER_02

So yeah, and you know, the the the Browns had a couple first rounders with getting Fanu and then getting uh Casey Concepcion. Um that doesn't hit the same chord.

SPEAKER_01

No, um the other one would be I I I do think that the the Dallas Cowboys got some value in Caleb Downs at 11, um, and then being able to get Malachi Lawrence a a pretty solid edge um down there at 23. I think you know they had a good draft as well. You might consider the the Titans and what they got with um Kendrick Falk down there at 31, and you know, the the probably one of the better um or best wide receivers in the draft at Cardinal Tate, but drafting him at four might might be questionable. So um, you know, I you know you you look at those things and the guys that had or the teams that had multiple picks in that first round seem to get you know the value out of them.

SPEAKER_02

So yeah, so let's end on this on on today. Uh what do the Lions got now? You know, with uh getting Blake Miller on the line in the in the first round. What do we we're staring down this next season with what, Brian?

SPEAKER_01

Well, this next season you're looking at our offensive line and you're like, okay, I mean, if Blake Miller can win a spot at that right tackle position, feeling pretty good. And if not, you know, Larry Borum could could definitely fill a role for how many weeks until Blake Miller's ready to go and fill in that spot. You have a second year at Tate Ratledge at right at right guard. You have a Cade Mays, who I think is ascending and moving up, and I believe better than a Graham Glasgow at center. You have a Christian Mahogany, which I think right now is your weakest link, but there's competition behind him to push him. So you have uh Miles Frazier who's gonna push him, and Bark, who we brought in, who's gonna push him, and um, you know, there might be some other guys. Juice Grugs might still be a guard and might be able to push him as well. And then you're moving Panay Sewell from right guard a right tackle to left tackle, who I think is still going to be an elite position there. Um, and and I I feel like we've definitely improved that O line.

SPEAKER_02

So I I think the lines are signaling, they're not gonna say it, but they're signaling that they effed up last year, and the line was nowhere near where it needed to be with a with a statue quarterback that needs time to read his progressions that can move in the pocket a little bit, um, but not a threat to run, just able to step up into a clean pocket, and maybe a semi-dirty pocket. Sure. Um, so that what they do in the offseason in free agency, they went out and they addressed offense, offensive line specifically. What they do with their first most coveted pick in the draft, Ryan?

SPEAKER_01

Offensive line.

SPEAKER_02

Offensive line. And not only that, they had Monroe Freeling there with I think 12 starts to his name, but they took the ultimate Iron Man there with 54 starts. They got to see him in high pressure situations. Lots of film, lots of tape. Lots of tape. Um, they liked his fluidity, like they liked his his hand, they liked his accuracy with his feet. Um just a guy that says I can become a solid right tackle in the NFL. And and they like Borham. I I think they they have options there, they don't have to rush him in there. Um and the lines are going in this year with a lot of depth on the offensive line. And that is coming out of last year, kind of the music to our ears.

SPEAKER_01

100%. I mean, if you look at what we were dealing with towards the end of the year, um, guys in and out of the lineup, um, even you know, Graham having missing games, uh, Christian Mahogany having missing games, and the the revolving door of guys that had to fill those roles, uh, we definitely have raised the floor in regards to depth um at that offensive line. And I think that that that is itself is going to allow Jared Goff to stand tall, um, deliver the ball with with confidence, and um even guys like Jameer Gibbs um in order to open up some holes. So um we've we've improved that O-line um from last year. I I I I'm excited about that. I am interested to see what we do round two tomorrow um at 50. Um you know, we we've still got eight picks left in this in this 2026 draft. You know, are there eight roster spots available? Um, or are we going to to see Brad do what Brad does and package some of those things in order to move up?

SPEAKER_02

So there's a lot out there right now, right? So you got Jramad McCoy, cornerback out of Tennessee, still sitting out there. You got Denzel Boston, I mean the Lions aren't gonna pick him, still sitting out there. You got Emmanuel McNeil Warren, safety out of Toledo, um Colton Hood, cornerback. Uh there's a lot of guys out there right now um for the lions to uh one to get soaking up, um, but also options for the lions to pick later on that draft. Um, a couple of our favorites. There's a couple guys out of University of Michigan that are slated right there. Um I I don't know if you want to speak to you know grit index and different things.

SPEAKER_01

Sure. I mean, you know, you look at what what Eric Schlitz kind of panned out and and Blake Miller was was was high in that grid index for round one. Round two, we're looking at guys like Jacob Rogers, um, you know, guys like Gabe Jackets, who I I'm I'm excited about because he's an edge in a position of need, but also a guy that I think that they might value pretty highly. Um, you know, those those two guys themselves, D'Angelo Pons, cornerback, uh out of India.

SPEAKER_02

That's one of the biggest wildcards in this draft is D'Angelo Pons, who um if you read interviews with um the defensive coordinator for Indiana, he said that we built our whole defense a national championship win. Winning defense around this guy. He was the single outright best player, but he's 5'8. But he was locked down. Um this is a guy that like you can take a swing on, and he can really change the game, right? And we lost a guy of that similar ilk right now that could step right in.

SPEAKER_01

Yep. So I mean we lost Samik Robertson, and this guy could, you know, DeAndre Pons could could fill that role. So um, you know, I'm excited about round two and what what the Lions are are willing to do and and what they value at that spot. Um I I'm hopeful that it a gabe a Gabe Jack is falls to them, and and that seems to be on their board. Um, but we all can say that we know that the Lions are going to value their guys, the guys that they have identified as as gritty guys, football-loving guys, guys that are gonna fit the culture, and they're gonna go out and get those guys. And they're and they don't care if they have to move up and and trade um some some draft capital to get them. Um, you know, but the ultimately I'm I'm hoping it's it's not 2027 draft capital. I'm hoping it's it's might be some of those those packages of fourth rounders or fifth rounders or sixth rounders that they they got like stacked up.

SPEAKER_02

So yeah, I mean uh Manuel McDeal Warren probably going top in the second round. Um Pons has a has a chance. Um we talked about um other Eli Stours out of Vanderbilt tight end. Like there's not a lot of offensive options out there. If a guy like that falls, that might make some sense, but pretty much consensus is lines are going defense from here on out.

SPEAKER_01

That's what you can think, right? Um, there might be some value in a in a dunger, you know, the the Iowa um you know tackle slash guard. Uh you know, there might be some value in uh I don't know. I mean, uh a hill from Texas, um, a linebacker, you know, there might be some value there is that 50, but um I'm I'm I'm still intrigued. I think the Lions still have opportunities to get better.

SPEAKER_02

So so throw it in your comments who you like. Uh second round, third round, uh, fourth round. The Lions aren't out of the third round by any stretch of the imagination.

SPEAKER_01

There's a lot of moving chips here. I would be surprised if the Lions don't package some together and get back in the third round.

SPEAKER_02

So, yeah. Uh, they're known to be aggressive, obviously. We we've talked about that for better or for worse. Um, but what a fun first round that we just saw. A lot of moving parts. Um, and the lions went out there and they got such a lions guy.

SPEAKER_01

Yep, and uh we'll all now spend the the rest of the evening and tomorrow morning, you know, researching Blake Miller, convincing ourselves that he was exactly what the Lions need, and uh we will find uh you know an excitement in uh a right tackle that is about as vanilla as you can get.

SPEAKER_02

So yeah. Uh do you want to jump on another pad tomorrow night?

SPEAKER_01

We'll we'll see what's available.

SPEAKER_02

All right. Let's get after it. Thanks for joining.