Allen Park — It was the summer of 2022, and Dabo Swinney's offensive linemen were getting in some extra work without coaches present. Among the group was Blake Miller, a true freshman who was still acquainting himself with his new teammates.
At the end of the workout, Walker Parks, Clemson's starter at right tackle the season prior, touched base with Swinney. He told his coach the Tigers absolutely needed to find a role for Miller that upcoming season. Parks even offered shifting to guard to make it happen.
"Move me wherever, but we've got to get this guy on the field," Swinney recalled Parks telling him four years ago.
Fast forward a few months, and Miller became the third true freshman at Clemson since 1944 to start a season opener at offensive tackle, beginning a streak of 54 consecutive starts. Miller saw his collegiate work culminate Thursday evening, when the Detroit Lions made him the 17th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
"I've had a bunch of linemen over my 17 years as the head coach here," Swinney told local reporters through a Zoom meeting at the Lions' facility on Friday. "I've had every round — second, third, fourth, fifth, all the way through (undrafted) free agents. I hadn't had a first-rounder yet. ... I've had some great, great players over the years that they would always — it 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 that have been kind of downgraded on a little bit, and that is just that natural length and size, and then the strength to go along with it."
Miller checked in at 6-foot-6¾ and 317 pounds with 34¼-inch arms at the combine in February, all prototypical for a starting tackle in the NFL. He also tested well, with promising results in the 40-yard dash (5.04 seconds), vertical leap (32 inches) and bench press (32 reps). Miller consistently improved each season. He allowed only 14 pressures in 2025.
What Miller was able to do on the field opened the door to him becoming a first-round selection, of course. But he doesn't reach that potential without having the correct off-field mindset, Swinney said.
"There's a lot of people who have first-round talent, but they don't have first-round habits," said Swinney, who has won two national championships at Clemson. "But (Miller's) habits and how he prepared (was impressive). His sleep, his nutrition, his flexibility. All of those things. His work in the offseason, his study of film, his love of study of the film. All those things were just evident as he went through his career."
Perhaps Swinney's biggest compliment of Miller was related to how he prepares.
"We always talk about playing to a standard, practicing to a standard, preparing to a standard, and that standard doesn't change. ... It's not about being the best. It's about doing your best, working your best, preparing your best. Period. It doesn't matter if you're 0-6, 6-0, if you're down two touchdowns, if you're up two touchdowns. He lived that every single day, and any of his teammates would echo that," Swinney said of Miller.
"He lived it every single day. If you watched Blake Miller practice, you wouldn't know if we were preparing for the national championship that week or we were playing an FCS school. That's just who he is. I think his example is the greatest thing that I'll always remember about him and I think what his teammates will remember about him. Not anything particular that he did, more so just the example that he lived every single day."
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Blake Miller was special from Day 1, says Clemson's Dabo Swinney