Taylor Decker – Lions Lowdown

Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley optimistic about new-look line

ALLEN PARK — Inconsistency was an issue for the Detroit Lions last season and one reason they were watching the playoffs instead of playing in them.

The offensive line has been addressed through the offseason and while it’s early, Hank Fraley, run game coordinator/offensive line coach, has reason to be optimistic about improvements.

“I like where we’re headed, we’ll see where we’re at, we’re still just in underwear there’s a lot of unknowns still, but I love the direction we’re heading in,’’ Fraley said at Tuesday’s veteran minicamp.

Last year the line did not live up to its high standards which are set by coach Dan Campbell.

“If we’re not living up to those standards ourselves then we’re not going to have the year we want to have,’’ Fraley said. “Really the thing I’m harping on these guys, it’s not necessarily always the strongest, the fastest, the most talented but you’ve got to be consistent. If you look back over last year we weren’t as consistent as we need to be in certain things, certain times, we’ve got to get that cleaned up and be more detailed.’’

Fraley, who was an NFL center for 11 seasons, says playing O-line involves a mindset.

“There’s not too many sports where you get to walk out and you get to bully people,’’ Fraley said. “Offensive linemen, the mentality is being a bully between those white lines and we can be as nice as we want once we get off the field.’’

While positions are not set in stone, the projected line could feature Penei Sewell at left tackle, Christian Mahogany at left guard, Cade Mays at center, Tate Ratledge at right guard and rookie Blake Miller at right tackle. Competition in training camp at guard could change the projections.

Sewell is making the transition from right tackle to fill the shoes of Taylor Decker.

“I told him it’s like riding a bike, you can go years without riding a bike mentally then you get on a bike you have to find your balance, your timing a little bit, how you pedal how, you do all that,’’ Fraley said. “It’s been a long time since he’s done it continually He’s transitioned pretty smoothly everybody knows he’s a great athlete — takes great pride in his work.’’

Mays, who has played in 52 NFL games (27 starts) since he was drafted in the sixth round by Carolina in 2022, gives more veteran presence.

Miller, the Lions’ first-round draft pick, has impressed Fraley so far. While he’s making some mistakes ,when he does make one it’s mental and he’s able to adjust and clean it up.

The run game also suffered last season which, of course, affects the whole offense. Fraley said the offense has to earn the right to run the ball to get the coordinator to call the next run and establish it.

The Lions wrap up the two-day veteran minicamp on Wednesday and then will be off until training camp starts in July.

Lions fill need, draft OT Blake Miller in first round

ALLEN PARK — Offensive tackle Blake Miller (Clemson) was selected by the Detroit Lions with the 17th overall pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday night.

Miller, 22, fills a need on the offensive line with the departure of veteran left tackle Taylor Decker. Right tackle Penei Sewell could shift to the left side with Miller possibly starting at right tackle.

“When you think about Blake Miller, you sleep easy,” Lions GM Brad Holmes said in a statement that says it all.

Miller, who is 6-foot-7 and 317 pounds, was a Week 1 starter as a true freshman for the Tigers in 2022 and has played 3,762 career snaps since. All but 125 of those have come at right tackle. He holds the Clemson record for snaps from scrimmage — 3,778 in 54 games, all starts.

Miller said he never missed a game in college, high school or even middle school.

“He just checks a lot of boxes,” Holmes said. “He’s big, he’s tough, he’s smart, he’s a finisher, he has unbelievable football character, work ethic. Everything from a culture standpoint, he fits that. That’s the easy part. His ability is the stuff — he’s athletic, he’s a good athlete. It’s hard to find guys who can move like that and are finishers.”

Holmes said that Miller might not be aware but they’ve been watching him play for about four years. “He literally has gotten better every single year, that’s what makes you real excited about a player like that who actually has a high floor and has gotten better every single year,” Holmes said.

Miller met with the Lions through the pre-draft process. “I just loved the culture, the organization, I love the grit, I love the toughness that’s emphasized outside looking in and I really want to uphold that standard,” he said in a Zoom call.

He spoke just the right words when asked if he expects to contribute immediately. “My goal is to come in and work as hard as I humanly can, to be the best player I can humanly be,” Miller said. “At the end of the day how the cards fall fom there I can live with.”

Miller will benefit from being in the same offensive line group with Sewell, a first-round pick in 2021 who is considered one of the NFL’s top tackles. Miller said he’s watched plenty of tape on Sewell while in college and looks forward to working with him.

Lions coach Dan Campbell spoke to FOX 2 sports following the selection: “We had a lot of love for the guy. There were a lot of top-tier tackles in here, and when you start watching, man, the closer we got to the draft, his consistency, the steadiness that he provided, it was just good production, week in, week out, for multiple years.”

At Clemson Miller was a first-team All-ACC selection, becoming the 25th player in school history to earn at least three career All-ACC selections. Miller, who earned a degree in financial management in May 2025, wrestled and played football at Strongsville (Ohio) High School which is about 160 miles from Detroit. He was at home in Strongsville Thursday night with family and friends when he got the call from Detroit.

The Lions have eight more picks in the draft which will wrap up on Saturday. They have one second-round pick (50th overall), two fourth-round picks (118 and 128), two fifth-round picks (157 and 181), two sixth-rounders (205 and 213) and one seventh-round pick (222).

Second- and third-round picks will be drafted on Friday starting at 7 p.m. The fourth-seventh round picks begin at noon on Saturday.

Five things to watch as Lions look to improve playoff chances with win over the Rams

With playoff chances on the line again, the Lions hope to tap into the success they found in the win against the Dallas Cowboys last week when they face Matthew Stafford and the Rams in Los Angeles on Sunday.

A win would give the Lions (8-6) a 72-percent chance of making the playoffs while a loss would drop that percentage down around 30 percent. Huge difference.

The Rams (10-3) are seeking to win the NFC West over Seattle (10-3) and San Francisco (9-4).

Against the Cowboys, the Lions played some of their best complementary football this season.

“Man, we were all just clicking at the right time. It was like if something went against us, we lost a little bit of momentum, man, the other unit picked it up,’’ coach Dan Campbell said. “They shut it down. So, they score over there, we score. They score, we score. We fizzle out, defense gets a takeaway or gets the stop. They make a play, special teams, we get it to the 45. There’s a return to the minus-45, those are huge. That’s when – all the other stuff doesn’t matter. When you can do that in a game, that’s how you win games in this League.”

The last time Detroit and the Rams met was to open the 2024 season. The Lions pulled out a 26-20 overtime win. In January 2024, the Lions squeaked out a 24-23 playoff win in Detroit.

It’s an interesting recent history. Another chapter will be added on Sunday.

Five things to watch:

ONE: The Lions defense had three takeaways in the win over Dallas, they need to work some of that magic again. “We were able to disrupt what they were doing, and it paid huge dividends. It got us three takeaways, or really two. Had a lateral that was huge. So, we’ve got to do that again,’’ Campbell said. “The front is just as important as the backend. These guys will understand what they’re getting ready to face. We know this is an outstanding quarterback, he’s got weapons, and they’re versatile. And like I said, very good coaching. We’ve got to find a way to get takeaways, you’ve got to do it. We’ve got to do it again.”

TWO: Prevent Matthew Stafford, the odds-on favorite for the League’s MVP, from throwing explosive passes downfield. Easier said than done as he will try to manipulate the Lions defense. “But at some point, if you just sit there and he’s baiting you, if you don’t move, he’s going to throw it. So, you’ve still got to move, it’s just understanding, you could be – he could be trying to move you here a little bit, he could be trying to manipulate you,’’ Campbell said. “You’ve got to play your keys, and look, we’ve got to get to him upfront. We’ve got to cause some disruption.’’

THREE: The linebackers once again must help out the beat-up secondary. Brian Branch is out for the season and Kerby Joseph won’t play following a setback in his recovery. That makes linebacker Jack Campbell, Alex Anzalone and Derrick Barnes keys to the defensive success. “They’re big, and they’re one of the reasons – all of those guys were a factor, but man, we put a lot on our backers the other day. Some of those coverages we were playing a lot of, and that puts an enormous amount of stress on your linebackers,’’ Campbell said. “… So, the guys are going after the football and it shows, it pays dividends. You go after the football, you see what you hit, you make a concerted effort. One of your teammates gets him wrapped up, the other one comes in there and takes the ball away. Bite the football. And we’ve got to do it again, we have to.”

FOUR: A big deal has been made this week about the rematch between Stafford and Jared Goff. Both are in the upper echelon of NFL QBs this season — Stafford leads the NFL with 35 touchdown passes while Goff is second with 26. . Goff has made the best of the situation with a rebuilt offensive line. “He doesn’t blink. He doesn’t blink. I mean there’s times where he’s getting his butt kicked, he just gets right back up. That’s one of his strengths, he’s mentally tough,’’ offensive coordinator John Morton said. “And his preparation is the key to our success, just like everybody. I mean our guys, they do a great job, our coaches do a great job preparing everybody. But when you’ve got a guy like that, it’s pretty special. And when things don’t go right and through his preparation, he sees certain things and gets to it just like he did a couple weeks ago. And it’s helped us. It’s helped us a few times. But run and pass, he always gets us in the right play.’’

FIVE: Dan Campbell has improved at calling the offense and getting the ball to RB Jahmyr Gibbs to run or his increasing role as a pass catcher. “He’s certainly filled some of those targets and catches for us, and he can just do so much. And it’s kind of like he’s just scratching the surface on his route running ability and what he can do out in the backfield,’’ Goff said. Campbell said Gibbs gives them a lot of flexibility. ”I’ve said this before, the more that we ask him to do, the better he gets and the more he can do. But he allows us to do a lot, so he’s a good player. He’s a good player and he’s only getting better,’’ the coach said.

LIONS INJURIES: OUT — S Kerby Joseph, DB Brian Branch, G Christian Mahogany and S Thomas Harper. QUESTIONABLE — LT Taylor Decker, WR Kalif Raymond, G Kayode Awosika, RB Sione Vaki and TE Shane Zylstra.

RAMS INJURIES: WR Davante Adams is questionable.

PREDICTION: Lions 28, Rams 27