Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes noted that there is a pool of players the team would feel “comfortable” choosing in the first round of the 2021 Draft.
With the Draft 2021 de la NFL less than a week away, the new general manager of the Detroit Lions, Brad Holmes, announced that the franchise is open to redeeming the No. 7 overall pick.
“Yes, there has been discussion with other teams“, He said Holmes during a press conference prior to Draft 2021. “We will keep that internal, but there have been discussions.”
Holmes noted that there is nothing set in stone at this time.
After a 5-11 season to the 2020 campaign, in which Detroit ranked last in total defense, the Lions they have started a total reconstruction.
Beyond Holmes, the pre-draft process has been a collaborative effort with the first-year head coach Dan Campbell and their assistants, as well as key executives. They seek to create depth on both sides of the ball, which is something considered by Holmes “of the utmost importance.”
“In 7, we have a group of players with whom we feel comfortable choosing, but at the same time, we want to be very well prepared and be willing to move in any direction”; He said Holmes. “So we’re still open in that regard, but there is a pool of players that we feel comfortable with.”
Detroit used his No. 3 overall pick from the Draft 2020 to choose the cornerback of Ohio State, Jeff Okudah, who was limited to nine games with 47 tackles and one interception. While some might view his rookie season as a disappointment, the team is committed to making the best of him in year two.
Holmes He also said his previous success or lack of draft picks at certain positions within the franchise, such as wide receivers or tight ends, will not cloud his vision of who he sees as the best option. As important as strengths and weaknesses on and off the field in the evaluation process, culture is also important to the new regime of Lions.
Holmes expect at least 10 people in the meeting room on draft day, once the official decisions are made.
“More than a culture draw, regardless of the scheme, obviously the scheme plays an important part in it, but at the end of the day, if the player has certain standards of strength, of passion, if the player strives, that has nothing to do with whether he’s a pressure coverage cornerback or loose coverage cornerback, or if he’s a 3-4 defensive linebacker that puts pressure on the quarterback, “he said. Holmes. “Does the kid play hard, or doesn’t he? Does he have a high-performance engine, or doesn’t he? Does he take plays to rest, or doesn’t he? Does he love football, or doesn’t he?
“So those standards are what we are looking for, but having that effort, that passion for American football, which is elite level, is actually the standards that we want to meet, rather than an adjustment to the scheme.”
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