'If We Don't, We Don't': Lions Will Not Reach for Defensive End
The Detroit Lions have made three selections through two days of the NFL draft, and still have yet to address the position that many supporters feel is their biggest area of need.
Many pundits agree an area of deficiency on the Lions' roster is the lack of a consistent presence opposite Aidan Hutchinson in their pass-rush. As a result, the team's decision to not pick a potential counterpart with its first three picks has come as somewhat of a surprise.
However, general manager Brad Holmes' philosophy has not changed, and does not appear to be changing at any point. The Lions' fifth-year general manager has built a reputation for sticking to his process, and that won't change even with the apparent need for help at the EDGE position.
In fact, Holmes admitted there is a possibility that the team does not emerge from the draft with a new player at the position, if there is not one available that the group values highly.
“If we don’t, we don’t. We’re not gonna chase a position," Holmes said. "The guy has to be a good player that we love. Now I’m not saying that there aren’t good players that other people might have higher. Might be, but we’re not gonna take a player that we don’t value as high just because he plays a position. I’ve been telling you that forever. I don’t know why. I mean, you guys keep asking the question because we had injuries last year, right? I just want to make that clear.”
Donning a sweatshirt with the letters HWS (symbolizing height, weight and speed) crossed out, Holmes explained that the team's personnel department will not deviate from its process of identifying and selecting their highest-graded players at each selection.
He also noted the difficulty of acquiring a talented player at the position with the value of the spot being so high. Holmes admitted that there were points where the team attempted to trade up but ultimately were unable to land a player at the coveted position.
“All I hear is, 'Draft an edge rusher.' Well, are you saying that the guy’s really good?" Holmes said. "Well, that’s a whole different story. Can you get into position to get one of those? I won’t get into specifics, but there’s times where we made attempts to get one. They got picked before, we couldn’t get up. It takes two to trade. Or we just had another player higher.
Holmes did make two trades up on the draft's second day. First, he moved up three spots to select Georgia offensive lineman Tate Ratledge. In the third-round, he moved up 32 spots to add Arkansas wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa.
He wouldn't call the lack of an addition at the position disappointing, noting that the team could've reached down its board to draft one. However, with conviction, Holmes dispelled the notion that his team would not expand its board to make an addition at that spot.
"But we did the same thing that we do every time. We picked the highest-graded player, regardless of position," Holmes explained. "That’s what we did this whole way through, that’s what we’re gonna do tomorrow. So yes, we could have. There’s some edge rushers still available. We don’t have one ranked this high. You know what I mean, so we’re always gonna get the best player.”
With that in mind, Holmes will certainly continue looking to add help at the position. This could come in the draft, or through free agency or the waiver wire.
"We'll keep working. I mean, we'll turn over every stone," Holmes noted. "There are other avenues in the player acquisition process, so it doesn't stop at the draft. We'll see."
As it stands, the Lions do not have a pick until the 182nd overall selection in the sixth-round. Detroit currently has five selections between the sixth- and seventh-rounds to conclude the 2025 NFL draft.
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