Dabo Swinney: "God was in a good mood when he made" Blake Miller

At a crowded position at a premiere program, Blake Miller was looking for the fastest way onto the field. He sized up the warmup line at left tackle in one of his first summer practices at Clemson, realized the line at right tackle was a little shorter, and "just by happenstance I hopped in there and started repping," Miller said.

A left tackle throughout his high school career, Miller took to right tackle so quickly that Clemson's junior starter at the position contacted Dabo Swinney before the coaches were allowed on the field with the players in fall camp and said, "Look, move me to guard. Move me wherever, but we've got to get this guy on the field. You just wait, you just wait."

"And, boy, was he right," said Swinney. "I'm excited that it all worked out."

Miller went on to start every game of his four-year career at right tackle, setting the program record for snaps along the way. Clemson had never produced a first-round offensive lineman in Swinney's decorated coaching career, but Swinney knew the 6'7 Miller had the goods "right out of the gate."

"This guy's starting Day 1. And not only is he starting, he's playing at a high level. So, he gets it from a mental standpoint, and then he has the physical attributes," said Swinney.

"I've had some great, great (offensive linemen) over the years where it would always would be, 'Well, they're only 6-2. Not quite strong enough yet. They're playing tackle but they need to play guard.' Those types of things. There was no 'but' with Blake Miller. He was made in a lab if you're looking for an offensive tackle. God was in a good mood when he made him. It was offensive tackle day. He's got it all. He can run. He can play in space. He can pull. And again, he's got what you can't coach. He's got some things that some of my better tackles over the years have been kind of downgraded for, and that is just that natural length and size, and then the strength to go along with it."

Raised in the Ohio city of Strongsville, Miller lives up to where he's from. He was a state champion in wrestling growing up, and he went on to set records in the Clemson weight room, including a 620-pound backsquat. He had the measureables of a first-round draft pick on the offensive line as soon as he got to campus, said Swinney: "He showed up strong, but he left here a beast."

"And then from a fundamental standpoint, technique, footwork, defensive recognition, just being able to know the game within the game, that’s where I saw him get better and better and better as he went through his career," Swinney said.

"The other thing I saw from a developmental standpoint is just, he’s always been a very strong-willed kid. He doesn’t say a whole lot. But watching him grow into a great leader — he left here as a captain, voted on by his teammates. He was, I would say, a little shy when he came in. He wasn’t shy on the field, but he really didn’t say much outside of that. But watching him find his voice and watching him grow into that leader was an awesome thing."

Miller has the nastiness in the run game that the Lions crave. Both Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes have raved about the fact that he's a "finisher." He plays with the same mean streak as the guard he'll be lining up next to in Detroit, Tate Ratledge. Miller's goal each game is to see the defensive player across from him looking to the sideline for relief in the fourth quarter. The NFL traits -- "his size, his flexibility, his athleticism, his physicality -- all those things are natural," said Swinney.

Still, Miller has plenty of room to grow. His sturdy floor does not indicate a limited ceiling. "The next step for him," according to Swinney -- "and he would probably say this" himself -- is playing with "a little bit more anticipation in his pass pro."

And "just continuing to build some bulk on that lower body so that he can hold up against the size of some of those guys he’s gonna see week in and week out in the NFL. But just continuing his craft, his technique, his footwork and all those things that will help him stay in good position and execute against whoever he sees."

Miller was the fourth offensive tackle off the board Thursday night, 17th overall, the Lions' highest pick at the position since taking Penei Sewell seventh overall in their first draft under Holmes and Campbell. He has a chance to be their next Taylor Decker, the fourth tackle off the board in 2016, 16th overall, who provided a decade of dependability at one of the most important positions on the field.

"You’re gonna draft a first-round offensive lineman, he’s what you’re looking for," said Swinney. "Again, he’s smart, he’s tough, he’s big, he’s durable and can really run."