{"id":199962,"date":"2026-03-11T15:23:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T15:23:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/199962\/"},"modified":"2026-03-11T15:23:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T15:23:15","slug":"houston-texans-draft-profile-ot-blake-miller","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/199962\/","title":{"rendered":"Houston Texans Draft Profile: OT Blake Miller"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">The second edition in our analysis of top prospects for the Houston Texans heading into the NFL Draft. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.battleredblog.com\/nfl-draft\/74211\/houston-texans-draft-profile-chase-bisontis\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Last week, Chase Bisontis<\/a> received his time in the spotlight with a full breakdown. This week, we highlight another highly debated offensive tackle in Blake Miller.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Houston adding right tackles Braden Smith and Trent Brown doesn\u2019t rule them out of building for the future, especially with a high-ceiling prospect such as Blake Miller.<\/p>\n<p>Size: 6\u20196\u201d, 317 poundsPosition: Right tackleYear\/Age: Graduate, 22 years oldMeasurements: 34 1\/4\u201d arms (53%), 9 3\/4\u201d hands (34%)Expected draft range: late first to early second round<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">30-minutes of Blake Miller\u2019s tape will leave you believing he\u2019s either the next greek god of blocking or future fodder in a Top 10 busts of the 2026 NFL Draft class list. Based on my film review, unsurprisingly, his talent and quality lies somewhere in the middle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">After an initial film review, I understand the inconsistencies in his profile. There\u2019s evidence of elite play coupled with distinct whiffs and mental lapses. So, I abandoned the YouTube edits and dove into Clemson\u2019s full game film. The reason? The contrasting quality of his top and bottom plays are so stark that they need to be in context of a full game of film.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">The conclusion? He\u2019s a natural mauler who is being asked to play with finesse. It\u2019s asking Rembrandt to sing. Rothko to act, or Devinci to paint. Each are incredibly talented at one thing, but are unnatural at another skill.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Blake Miller\u2019s PFF scores pop off the screen.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_1eezmj01\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.battleredblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-05-at-10.28.22%E2%80%AFPM.png?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"1568\" data-pswp-width=\"1452\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"w91vxg0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-05-at-10.28.22\u202fPM.png\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Miller\u2019s pass blocking technique is quite refined, outside of his hands. He can be a bit wide with his grasp, which he gets away with due to his long arms. Bringing those hands in will pair well with his well balanced frame as he rarely leans forward at the point of contact.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">His stance. I can\u2019t get over his stance. It looks like he\u2019s playing red light green light and got caught in the most awkward, upright position. It\u2019s balanced, which helps disguise his intentions and the play itself, but I think it causes problems getting depth.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Try it yourself! Stand straight up and try to leap backwards. How far do you go? Now, bend your knees, lean forward, put more weight on your toes, then leap. Did you go farther? <\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">A little adjustment could go a long way with Miller; a bit more forward lean will give him greater power to move backwards. Plus, it will improve his leverage in the run game.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">In Clemson\u2019s three-step drop system where the ball is out in less than three seconds, Miller getting depth is key to protecting the QB. That won\u2019t be the case<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">More on the run game: Miller tee\u2019s off against linebackers. He rarely whiffs or loses his feet when pummeling linebackers with a five yard head start. It\u2019s a much taller task that one thinks; many OTs with his frame struggle to reach and control themselves at the next level, but it\u2019s one of Miller\u2019s best attributes. Then again, when watching the game against South Carolina, he struggled reaching their LBs. The inconsistency is real.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Clemson\u2019s run game is not translatable to the NFL. Counters, zone reads, shotgun dives, and jet sweeps are a-typical in the NFL.He was rarely asked to block out on defensive ends, and when he did he was shucked off his blocks consistently.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Two NFL concepts concern me with Mller\u2019s transition to the league: wide nine\u2019s and stunts. Wide nine\u2019s &#8211; when the defensive end lines up outside the tight end\u2019s shoulder &#8211; will trouble Miller as their speed and angle will present problems. Again &#8211; getting depth in that kick-slide.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">The second is stunts. Miller was beaten inside all too-often at Clemson by inside moves; something NFL teams will absolutely target with their best pass rusher. If he can\u2019t protect the inside lane to the QB he can\u2019t play on Sundays. He gave up FIVE pass rushes against Syracuse due to inside moves.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">I want Blake Miller to pack his bags, give his landlord a 30 days notice, and move in with Texans newly extended DE Danielle Hunter. Why? Hunter does everything that Miller can\u2019t handle. If Hunter can take the rookie to DE school for a summer, he can help minimize the breakdowns in technique which lead to the blemishes on his film.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">To answer everyone\u2019s favorite question, \u201ccan he move inside and play guard?\u201d. To put it bluntly, no you cheapskate. Not every rectangle is a square. This is a pure offensive tackle who is already upright as it is. He\u2019s going to make it at as a tackle or not at all.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">I went into this review wanting to jeer Miller like an over-served baseball fan in the bottom of the eight inning. That didn\u2019t happen. What I did find were clear technical deficiencies that need to be retooled to resolve recurring problems. Sounds simple, but it\u2019s the same reason why players \u201cnever develop\u201d. Failure to learn, absorb, and implement. learn, identify, and deter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Finally, should Houston select Blake Miller? Given Houston has Trent Brown for one more year, there may not be a better landing spot. Sure, I\u2019d prefer Houston pick him with the 38th pick and not the 28th pick, but that\u2019s neither here nor there. The glaring holes in his game, namely zone blocks, stunts, and power-rushers, could tank his career if Houston can\u2019t work around them. I currently have a mid-to-late second round grade on him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The second edition in our analysis of top prospects for the Houston Texans heading into the NFL Draft.&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":199963,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[56,58,57,23714,22816,45576],"class_list":{"0":"post-199962","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-houston","8":"tag-houston","9":"tag-houston-headlines","10":"tag-houston-news","11":"tag-houston-texans-analysis","12":"tag-houston-texans-draft","13":"tag-nfl-draft-scouting-reports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=199962"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199962\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/199963"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=199962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=199962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=199962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}