Brad Holmes said he’s more interested in taking the best player, rather than just addressing an immediate need
Every team has their own draft approach and some work better than others. One of the biggest general questions for teams heading into each NFL Draft is whether they should focus on their specific team’s needs, or pick the best available player left on the board.
The Detroit Lions currently have the No. 28 overall pick and with a selection so late in the Day 1 action, it can be difficult to accurately predict who they will take.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes gave some insight to his team’s point of view on the best way to go about drafting what could be the next generation of NFL stars. He said he’s always “been more of a just get the best player” type of GM.
“There’s just a level of patience you have to [have]” Holmes said, via the team’s official website. “When you start chasing need, it’s like that need might make sense for right now at this time. We make these picks for future investments.”
While immediate payoff can be intriguing, he’s looking at the bigger picture and longterm success.
“We kind of live in a society that everything is, ‘Right now! Right now! Right now!’ And I understand it, too. From when a player gets drafted and so much fascination is made about the draft, people are excited about it. People want to see it right now. They don’t want to wait and be patient,” Holmes added.
Holmes, who has held the Lions GM title since 2021, warns of what the opposite draft mindset can result in.
“I think you can get in trouble chasing needs sometimes, and then you’re depending on a rookie,” Holmes said, via the team’s website. “You do the best you can, but nobody has a crystal ball. So, it can be a tough world to live in.”
The Lions could use some help at specific positions, like pass rusher after releasing Za’Darius Smith, but based on Holmes’ comments, it seems far from a guarantee that they will focus on filling a gap rather than just getting who they feel is best available at the time.
The first year under Holmes’ as GM, the Lions went 3-13-1, landing last in their division for the fourth year in a row. They went to 9-8 in 2022, their first winning record since 2017, but missed the playoffs. In 2023 and 2024 the Lions earned divisional titles, their first since 1993 and made playoff appearances.
Taking a team with such history struggling to a playoff team in just a few years gives Holmes and the rest of the front office reason to believe their approach is working.
