Clemson Tigers Offensive Lineman Named A Top 2025 NFL Draft Prospect
The Clemson Tigers look to be one of the best teams in the nation heading into the 2024 college football season. They are one of the programs that will be vying for a spot in the expanded playoffs this year.
To earn that spot, Dabo Swinney is going to need to see more production from his offense. To improve their chances of making the playoffs, their offense needs to play more efficiently than it did in 2023.
There will be some pressure on Cade Klubnik to push the ball downfield more, as the offense needs more big, explosive plays. Playing methodically means more snaps, which presents more chances for your offense to make mistakes.
Turnovers and an inability to convert drives into touchdowns in the red zone plagued the Tigers. For this unit to really take off, the team needs to see improvement in the trenches.
There is a lot of continuity in this positional group as seven of the team’s nine offensive linemen from last season are returning. That should help turn their performance around, as Clemson was below average in several key stats.
One of the players Swinney will be counting on to help turn things around for the offensive line is tackle Blake Miller. He won’t turn 21 years old until February but is already entering his third season as a starter for the program.
Listed at 6’6” and 310 pounds, Miller is someone who is on the radar of NFL scouts heading into the 2024 season. Over at Bleacher Report, he was named one of the top 2025 NFL draft prospects to keep an eye on in the Power Four conferences.
On the NFL Mock Draft Database, the Tigers standout comes in at No. 67 overall and is the sixth-ranked offensive tackle. His high-level performance as a run-blocker is something that people are taking notice of already, per Max Chadwick of Pro Football Focus.
"[Miller's] 1,952 snaps since then are the second most of any offensive tackle in college football. In 2022, he paced all true freshmen tackles with a 76.8 run-blocking grade.
His 71.4 run-blocking grade this past season led all ACC tackles. He needs to improve as a pass protector, earning just a 62.5 career pass-blocking grade on true pass sets."
That track record, combined with his youthfulness, is someone that will pique the interest of NFL teams. Far from a finished product, they will also like that he already has one elite asset to lean into with his run blocking.
Based on his current rankings, Miller will be in the mix as a Day 2 selection. If he can improve as a pass protector, his value could very well push him into consideration as a first-round pick.