Lions general manager Brad Holmes conducted his yearly media session at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday. The 15-minute question-and-answer session at the podium was engaging, with Holmes addressing various offseason and team-building issues.
Yet, one of the initial remarks made by Holmes is possibly the most significant insight from the entire podium session.
“We’re not a drafting team that focuses on needs,” Holmes indicated.
He mentioned it concerning a query about selecting multiple cornerbacks in the first and second rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft. Selecting Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw represented the end of a lengthy strategy, rather than an indicator of the team simply addressing a commonly acknowledged requirement.
“We’re simply acquiring the top football player for our team,” Holmes added. “We don’t typically become overly focused on roles.” However, I must admit that it aligned so well due to the challenges we faced in the previous season when our secondary depth dwindled significantly.
Returning to the beginning of his response.
“We’re not a team that drafts based on needs.”
This has consistently been a focus during the Holmes/Campbell administration. Certainly, in the initial drafts, the Lions truly required everything. They required skill, end of story, regardless of its position on the field.
In the previous year, Holmes utilized the picks following the two cornerbacks mainly on players focused on long-term development such as offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo, and running back Sione Vaki, who was a college safety. In the 2023 draft, Holmes and his Lions selected a running back, an off-ball LB, a tight end, and a safety within the first 45 picks, rather than addressing the most urgent perceived needs (at the time) of defensive tackle, cornerback, and wide receiver. An improvement at No. 2 QB, a significant necessity at that moment, was made with the following pick in Hendon Hooker.
The takeaway: pay attention to Holmes when he discusses selecting players, rather than focusing on positions. He has demonstrated that talent outweighs need in every draft. Anticipate 2025 to mirror this one.