Inside the draft grind with Emery Hunt
Jeff Risdon opened the Detroit Lions Podcast with a popular request. Emery Hunt returned for a post-draft wrap and a real look at draft week on television. Hunt split days and nights between CBS Sports HQ studios in Fort Lauderdale and Connecticut. Days ran from 8 AM to 6 PM before the handoff north. That meant the 8 o’clock show, the 9 o’clock show, a 10:30 segment, a noon show, and more. No cheat sheet. No one in his ear telling him what to say.
He described a car wash of segments where months of scouting get squeezed into 30 to 45 seconds. The red light comes on and there is no break. Preparation carries the day, but producers are juggling their own chaos. They are not feeding schools or names on the fly. Talent has to be ready, precise, and fast. Miss one name and that’s all social media remembers. The NFL draft can feel like a sprint made of thousands of details.
Why Blake Miller fits Detroit at right tackle
Then came the Detroit Lions. First round, Blake Miller, right tackle, Clemson. Right tackle matters here. That’s where he played extensively at Clemson, and that is what the Lions need. Hunt liked the pick and the fit. He cited excellent first step quickness that gets him into the fight fast. He praised Miller’s movement skills and the ability to mirror a defensive end. The tape shows competence in pass pro and in the run game. Clemson can run it to both sides, and Miller works on both ends of the offense.
On Hunt’s grading scale, Miller landed a 78.5. That is a high second-round grade, close enough that taking him in round one drew no complaint. The NFL translation looks clean. Clemson runs a pro style offense. That experience matters in Detroit. Jeff pointed out the value of coming from that structure, especially when a player needs to start right away.
Pro-ready traits and immediate expectations
Will Miller step in now? Hunt agreed the traits and athleticism support that. He has logged a lot of games. He moves well. He can mirror. He anchors and runs. The right tackle emphasis in Detroit aligns with his resume. The Lions do not need to project a position change. They can plug a natural right tackle into a clear role.
The conversation also touched on how college context can cloud projection. One Lions pick arrived from a Kentucky offense that offered little useful pro tape. Miller’s situation is the opposite. His background speeds the transition. That is the through line. Detroit targeted a right tackle. They found one who played right tackle at a high level, in a system that teaches Sunday rules. On this Detroit Lions Podcast, that clarity stood out as the draft’s early win.
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