Lions rookie enters training camp as underdog (with hidden advantage)

Mason Miller is no stranger to earning trust. He did it over five seasons at North Dakota State, where he transformed from a raw, oversized former basketball prospect into an All-American lineman with 42 starts and two national championships. And now he’s doing it again in Detroit, quietly building something special with the Lions—one rep at a time. Only this time, he has a familiar face in his corner. New Lions tight ends coach Tyler Roehl was Miller’s offensive coordinator at NDSU. The two spent three years together in Fargo, where Miller anchored Roehl’s high-powered rushing attack, earning trust then that still clearly carries tons of weight now. Since signing a three-year, $2.975 million deal with $30,000 guaranteed, Miller’s done what he needs to do—start building his case. He’s held his own at multiple spots, hasn’t looked out of place, and has given the coaching staff a reason to keep watching. For a player coming in without draft pedigree, that early momentum matters. The Lions’ interior line is sti