RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesDan Campbell is not pretending rookie right tackle Blake Miller has had a perfect training camp.
He also is not worried about him.
That combination may be the most important part of Campbell’s evaluation as the Detroit Lions continue giving Miller every opportunity to win the starting job on the right side of the offensive line.
“He’s exactly what we thought he would be,” Campbell said on Monday. “There’s a consistency about him. He doesn’t get too high and he doesn’t get too low. His demeanor is just right.”
For a rookie offensive tackle, that temperament matters almost as much as the physical tools.
Blake Miller Is Learning the Hard Way
Miller has been seeing one of the toughest daily assignments imaginable.
Aidan Hutchinson.
That means there are going to be ugly reps. There are going to be losses. There are going to be moments when a young tackle gets reminded just how unforgiving NFL pass protection can be.
Campbell sees value in every bit of it.
“You have to have that, especially as a young player. You have to be willing to learn from what happened on the previous rep. When you go against Hutch every day, it’s important that you don’t go in the tank. You put what happened into the memory bank and ask, ‘How can I be better?’ That’s going to serve him really well.”
That is exactly the kind of trial-by-fire development Detroit seems comfortable with.
Miller is not being sheltered. He is being tested.
Campbell Is Not Hiding Miller’s Inconsistency
Campbell acknowledged that Miller has had uneven moments.
“He’s had ups and downs. It’s been inconsistent. That’s part of the growth. The best thing for him is Hutch. That’s the best thing for him.”
That may sound strange at first.
Why would repeatedly facing one of the NFL’s best edge rushers be good for a rookie trying to settle into a starting role?
Because Miller is seeing mistakes exposed immediately.
Bad hand placement gets punished. Slow feet get punished. Poor balance gets punished. There is nowhere to hide when Hutchinson is lined up across from you.
Campbell also pointed to veteran Wonnum as another useful challenge.
“Wonnum is a veteran player, too. That gives him some good changeups. This is a work in progress.”
Campbell Is Not Discouraged at All
If Lions fans were starting to worry about reports of Miller losing reps, Campbell poured cold water on that concern.
“I’m not discouraged. Not one bit. I don’t care if he gets beat for the next two weeks. I’m not going to be discouraged. He will come out of this, and he’s going to be a better player because of it. I like where he is. He just needs reps. Just keep growing.”
That is about as strong of a public vote of confidence as a young offensive lineman can get.
Campbell is clearly evaluating Miller through a developmental lens, not simply judging whether he wins every rep in August.
The Lions want to know whether he can absorb mistakes, correct them and come back better the next day.
Pass Protection Is the Biggest Area to Watch
Campbell identified the main issue fairly plainly.
“It’s consistency. He’ll put a rep together, and then there will be a couple that don’t go the way he wants them to go. It’s a work in progress. A lot of it right now is pass protection. I like what he’s doing in the running game, but really, it’s the whole game.”
That tracks with what often separates young tackles from established NFL starters.
Run blocking can be more straightforward. Pass protection requires timing, patience, hand placement, footwork and an understanding of how veteran rushers are setting up moves several snaps in advance.
Miller is learning all of that in real time.
And Detroit appears willing to live with the bumps.
Lions Are Giving Miller Every Chance to Win the Job
Campbell did not leave much doubt about the plan.
“He’s in a good spot. We’re going to douse him with reps. We’re going to find a way, and he will find a way to be the guy. If it doesn’t work out and he’s just not quite ready, then we have Larry. Larry is having a good camp. We’ll be good.”
That is the clearest indication yet that Detroit wants Miller to take the job.
The Lions are going to keep feeding him snaps, keep putting him against quality pass rushers and keep testing whether he can grow fast enough to earn the starting role.
If he does, great.
If he does not, Detroit believes it has another option ready.
Bottom Line
Blake Miller is not being handed the right tackle job.
He is being given every possible chance to earn it.
Dan Campbell expects mistakes. He expects rough stretches. What he does not expect is Miller to shrink from them.
That is why Hutchinson may be the best thing that could happen to him right now.
If Miller can survive those reps, learn from them and clean up the inconsistency in pass protection, Detroit may come out of training camp with exactly what it hoped to find.
A rookie tackle who took some lumps, grew fast and became the guy.
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