Lions' Right Tackle Competition: Borom's Window Before Miller Takes Over

The Detroit Lions will split right tackle reps between veteran Larry Borom and 2026 first-round pick Blake Miller during training camp, signaling that the team isn't handing the rookie the job outright despite investing a top-17 selection on the Clemson product. The Lions pursued the position aggressively in the offseason, even making an offer to trade up to No. 13 to land a tackle earlier, and showed interest in Kadyn Proctor before ultimately staying pat at No. 17. That pursuit history matters: it frames Miller not as a plug-and-play starter but as a project with elite tools who may need a runway.

Borom, a journeyman with multiple stints across the league, figures to begin training camp as the operational starter while Miller learns the speed and complexity of NFL pass-rushing. This split isn't a slight on Miller—it's a recognition that first-round tackles rarely walk into the NFL and deliver Pro Bowl-caliber pass protection in August. The Lions' offensive line, already shaky in spots, cannot afford to pair Jared Goff with a turnstile at right tackle week one. Borom buys time. Miller earns it.

The timeline matters for betting purposes. If Borom holds the early-camp edge and remains the starter into September, the Lions' pass protection metrics will reflect his ceiling: adequate but not elite. If Miller accelerates the learning curve and wins the job faster than expected, Detroit's passing attack downside compresses—Goff's TD:INT ratio, completion percentage, and EPA per play all improve when the right side holds. The camp competition, in other words, is a live variable on Goff's season-long volume props.

Markets will likely price Goff's passing yards (sitting around 4,150–4,250 range preseason) without fully adjusting for the right tackle uncertainty. If Borom is the guy through Week 4, Goff's sack rate could spike 8–12% above season-average pace early, pressuring his TD upside and inflating his INT risk. Conversely, if Miller wins faster—a real possibility given his draft capital and athletic profile—that same sack rate normalizes quicker, pushing Goff's season line upward from current estimates. The split reps during camp are the market's first signal of which timeline is unfolding. Bettors tracking practice reports in late July and early August will have actionable information well before the public catches up to line adjustments.