The Detroit Lions didn’t just sit back and wait for the board to fall their way Thursday night.

After selecting Blake Miller with the No. 17 overall pick, general manager Brad Holmes revealed just how close Detroit came to making a move, both up and down the board.

Detroit had its eyes locked on Miller well before draft night.

Holmes admitted the team had been tracking the Clemson standout closely for years, with his growth from 2023 to 2024 really standing out during film study.

That belief nearly led to an aggressive move up the board.

“We did, yeah. We talked to teams up, way up,” Holmes said. “And we just talked about it and tried to see if we can be at peace with what the capital is that you’d have to expend. But we definitely explored strongly about trading up.”

In other words, the Lions were serious about going and getting their guy.

At the same time, Detroit’s position at No. 17 made them a prime target for other teams.

With a known need at offensive tackle, the Lions had what Holmes described as a “target on their backs,” especially with other tackle-needy teams lurking behind them.

“I felt like, from the outside looking in, we had this big tackle target on our backs,” Holmes explained. “So if a team behind us was in the tackle market then they might want to jump us as well.”

When the Los Angeles Rams selected a quarterback instead of a tackle, the Lions’ confidence began to grow.

“As Holmes explained, “right after LA took the quarterback, I felt pretty good that we might be able to just get Blake.”

From there, the board continued to break in Detroit’s favor.

“Right about pick 14 I felt pretty good that we would be able to keep our assets and still land Blake,” Holmes added.

They fielded interest from teams looking to move down.

But when it mattered most, they trusted the board, and it rewarded them.

Detroit landed its guy in Blake Miller without sacrificing valuable assets.

And in a draft full of uncertainty, that may end up being the biggest win of all.