Category: nfl draft

Lions Kerby Joseph now highest paid safety in NFL history

His 4-year, $86 milion extension locks him up through 2029

ALLEN PARK — Kerby Joseph’s smile was brighter than the bling he was wearing on Thursday night. Perhaps it was because the ink was still drying on the 4-year, $85 million contract extension.

The deal makes him the highest paid safety in NFL history.

“To see this happen is amazing,’’ Joseph said.

Joseph, the Lions third-round draft pick in 2022,  finished the 2024 season with a career and league-leading nine interceptions. The 24-year-old has more picks than anyone in the NFL since he entered the league in 2022.

“It’s everything to me. I feel like it strives toward my goal of one day putting on a gold jacket so I feel this is a huge step, huge, huge milestone in my career and in my life,’’ Joseph said. “… I feel so blessed.’’

While he’s thrilled with the money he said that is not what motivates him.

“I really play this game because I love it,’’ Joseph said.  “I have a certain passion for the game.’’

Detroit Lions draft: What GM Brad Holmes will not do

ALLEN PARK — Lions GM Brad Holmes’ draft philosophy has become quite clear during his first four drafts in Detroit.

He’s not going to reach on players just to fill a position.

In his first four drafts he’s moved up more than moving down during the draft process but it just worked that way. He reminded, it takes two teams to make a deal.

Holmes has developed his dos and don’ts. 

“What I won’t do is what I’ve been saying that I won’t do that — I know you guys get frustrated with me not doing is looking at our depth chart like names black-and-white names with no football being played or anything – looking at a depth chart and seeing a position and then saying, ‘Man you’ve got to get that position. A player has to play that position.’”

That said, the biggest gap on the depth chart seems obvious. Certainly Holmes has considered drafting a pass rusher but not necessarily in the first round. It was a position of need after Aidan Hutchinson was knocked out of the season in Week 5 last season.

“You could draft a pass rusher every round, you could, it’s easy,’’ Holmes said. “That’s just like if a coach told me we want a guy who’s 6-4, 250. Getting a guy who’s 6-4, 250 is easy. I don’t know if he’s a good football player, but he’ll be 6-4, 250.

“It’s the same as you can draft a defensive end. If the player playing defensive end is not what we feel is going to be the right guy to really contribute to our football team then what are you guys going to write about that player,’’ Holmes asked.

The GM has adjusted during his Detroit tenure which started with needs at nearly every position. Now that he’s built a playoff-team roster, he still won’t zero in on specific needs because he said he’d rather have a surplus of players that he really likes.

The Lions have the 28th pick in tonight’s first round, followed by one pick in Round 2 (60th), one in Round 3 (102nd), one in Round 4 (130th), one in Round 6 (196th) and two in Round 7 (228th and 244th).

(The NFL draft opens tonight, April 24, at 8 p.m. with the first round. The second and third rounds are set for Friday at 7 p.m. Rounds 4-7 will start at noon on Saturday.)

Lions Brad Holmes preaches patience when it comes to NFL draft

Lions own 28th overall pick, plus 6 in later rounds

ALLEN PARK — As Brad Holmes works on the final preparation for his fifth NFL draft as the Lions GM, it may be wise to remember that he’s not a needs guy, he is looking for the best player available.

Think the Lions need a pass rusher? You’re not alone, but that does not mean Holmes will draft one in the first round with the 28th pick on Thursday night or even the second round on Friday.

“I sometimes don’t understand the whole need thing because when each season ends it’s going to be something else. Like another player’s contract is going to end, another player might unfortunately be coming off an injury. It’s going to be something different every single offseason,’’ Holmes said in his pre-draft presser.

He’s not trying to chase what happened last season when pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson’s season ended in week 5 with a brutal broken leg. He’s a big picture GM.

Holmes, along with coach Dan Campbell, has turned the Lions franchise around. In four drafts, he’s selected six Pro Bowlers. Whatever he’s been doing certainly seems to work even if the pundits might scratch their heads with certain picks. 

“Look, we loved (Ennis) Rakestraw and unfortunately he just wasn’t as healthy so he wasn’t able to help as much last year but we’re really excited and looking forward to what he will bring this year,’’ Holmes said.

For Holmes, patience is virtue.

“ When you start chasing need, well that need might make sense for right now at this time but what we make these picks for is future investments,’’ Holmes said. “We live in a society that everything is right now, right now, right now. I understand it too when a player gets drafted and so much fascination is made about the draft, people are excited about it, they want to see it right now. They don’t want to wait and be patient, but there’s just patience.’’

He uses WR Jameson Williams as an example. He jumped 20 spots up to draft him.

“He was coming off his injury. We knew maybe he could play a little bit late in the season, but we weren’t planning on it,’’ Holmes said.

Williams had a breakout season in 2024. 

Patience.

The Lions have the 28th pick in the first round, followed by one pick in Round 2 (60th), one in Round 3 (102nd), one in Round 4 (130th), one in Round 6 (196th) and two in Round 7 (228th and 244th).

(The NFL draft opens Thursday, April 24, at 8 p.m. with the first round. The second and third rounds set for Friday at 7 p.m. Rounds 4-7 will start at noon on Saturday.)