If there’s one thing Detroit Lions fans hammered home this draft season, it was the need for more edge rushers. And as it turns out, general manager Brad Holmes was right there with them — he just couldn’t quite make it happen early on.
While the Lions eventually added Boise State’s Ahmed Hassanein in the sixth round, Holmes revealed that the team made real efforts to grab a pass rusher much sooner in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Holmes Wanted One Earlier — But It Wasn’t That Simple
Speaking after Day 2 of the draft, Holmes gave a refreshingly honest look into Detroit’s strategy.
“All I hear is, ‘Edge rusher, draft an edge rusher,'” Holmes said as quoted by 97.1 The Ticket. “Well, are you assuming that the guy is really good? That’s a whole different story. Can you get in position to get one of those? I don’t need to get into specifics, but there were times we made attempts to get one and they got picked before, you couldn’t get up. It takes two to trade. Or, we had another player higher. We did the same thing that we do every draft. We picked the highest-rated player regardless of position.”
Translation: the Lions tried, but the board — and trade partners — didn’t cooperate.
Why Detroit Settled on Ahmed Hassanein
When the sixth round came around, the Lions jumped on Ahmed Hassanein, a high-motor pass rusher who fits the culture Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell have built in Detroit.
“He’s got to win rushes, he’s got to set edges,” Holmes said about what they look for in an edge rusher. And even though Hassanein is considered developmental, Holmes couldn’t hide his excitement about the pick.
“As, let’s call it, developmental as he is, he just plays hard,” Holmes said. “You have to set edges and win rushes, and when I say win rushes, it’s not just getting a sack. You can win rushes just by harassment and power and collapsing the pocket and just sheer effort. We just liked his upside, we like his football character, his work ethic, his passion.”
Will the Lions Add More Edge Rushers?
Asked if taking Hassanein would finally stop the endless questions about edge help, Holmes laughed.
“I don’t know, I don’t know. You guys have been on my ass pretty hard on it. I was like, ‘Sixth round, I don’t know if that suffices.'”
Holmes also made it clear that Detroit is far from done evaluating the position.
“It’s an ongoing, nonstop, relentless climb for just building a roster in general,” Holmes said. “It’s not a position that’s off limits. We’re always looking to try to get better.”
The Bottom Line
Brad Holmes made it clear: the Lions didn’t ignore edge rusher — the board just didn’t cooperate. While the addition of Ahmed Hassanein adds developmental depth now, don’t be surprised if Detroit remains aggressive in looking for more pass-rushing help before the 2025 season kicks off.
