Category: sports

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.)

Lions Derrick Barnes says unfinished business key to signing of 3-year contract extension

ALLEN PARK — Detroit has become home to linebacker Derrick Barnes since the Lions drafted him in 2021. He did not want to leave.

Unfinished business was also a key reason Barnes signed a three-year $25.5 million contract extension with $16 million guaranteed and a $6.32 million signing bonus.

“When it came down to it I told my agent I wanted to go back home, I wanted to be in Detroit, that’s where I belong and we’re building something great, we’re continuing to build something great and I want to be a part of it,’’ Barnes said at a Monday press conference.

Barnes tore his PCL and MCL in his right knee in Week 3 last season. 

“The fact that they had that faith in me to pay me that amount of money coming off this injury is amazing to me,’’ Barnes said. “It’s emotional because I know a lot of people don’t get this opportunity especially coming off knee injuries.’’

He could only watch as the team won its second straight NFC North title and then fell apart, losing to the Washington Commanders in the divisional round of the playoffs.

“This is a winning program now. We’ve changed things, like I said, we’ve got the culture where going to the playoffs is not going to be enough for us. We need to be in the dance,’’ Barnes said. “That’s why we let the outsiders think what they want to think but we know who we are and what we’re capable of doing. That window is definitely still open and I’m super excited to be a part of it.’’

He loves the team that has been built under the direction of GM Brad Homes and coach Dan Campbell since they took over in 2021.

“We’re building something great here and I want to be a part of that,’’ Barnes said.

Physically he said the knee is fine now. He said he can take a deep breath and start training now that the deal is done.

“As far as my game, we saw a little glance of what I was becoming for three weeks (last year) and I think there’s a lot more to come – knowledge of the game and even physically I feel like I’ve taken a step and kind of just playing a little more of a leadership role. I’m kind of older in Year 5, which is crazy to think about.’’

He felt like he was playing his best ball at the time but thinks his best is yet to come. 

Kelvin Sheppard, who coached the linebackers the past three seasons, has been promoted to defensive coordinator after Aaron Glenn moved on to become head coach of the New York Jets. 

“Like you all know, we’ve seen that coming with (Sheppard). Passionate about the game, loves the game, loves the players, cares about the players. That’s one of the things I love about him is how passionate he is about getting players better and putting them in positions to be successful,’’ Barnes said. “That was a big part of my decision to come back to Detroit. He is a guy that anybody would want to play for. Him being D.C. I’m pretty sure every guy is going to buy into what he wants.’’

(Up next: NFL free agency officially begins at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.)