Lions Don't Care About Draft Value, Target Athletic Prospects

Five drafts have now come and gone for Brad Holmes as Lions general manager. And one thing remains true: He does not care one bit about your draft board and the outside world's perception of his roster construction. He's going to continue to draft and build the Lions in his own way, and with little-to-no consideration for what fans and pundits think about it.

Holmes and Detroit went into the 2025 NFL Draft with seven total picks, and came out of it with exactly seven players after facilitating three trades. It gives Holmes 16 total draft-day deals in five years as the Lions' lead personnel decision-maker.

He moved up three times throughout the course of this year's three-day draft. He did so twice on Day 2: moving up from No. 60 overall to No. 57 and from No. 102 to No. 70. And then he did so once more on Day 3: jumping from No. 182 overall to No. 171.

With two of those three trade-ups, he beefed up the interior of Detroit's offensive lineman. He went to the SEC for both picks, selecting Georgia's Tate Ratledge at No. 57 overall and LSU's Miles Frazier at No. 171 overall. Holmes was widely commended for both picks (and rightfully so). 

Ratledge and Frazier provide the Lions with two players that can immediately compete for snaps on the interior, along with the likes of veteran Graham Glasgow and second-year pro Christian Mahogany. Additionally, I wouldn't be surprised to see Ratledge emerge from training camp this summer as the team's replacement for Kevin Zeitler at right guard.

While those two picks made a ton of sense, his selection at No. 70 did not. With the pick, he took wideout Isaac TeSlaa out of Arkansas. The one-time Hillsdale College receiver and Hudsonville, Mich., product was widely deemed to be a Day 3 prospect. Yet, Holmes traded up 32 spots – and also parted with two 2026 third-rounders – to acquire the pass-catcher. 

Sure, TeSlaa does have some solid intangibles to speak of. He checks in at 6-foot-4, 214 pounds, and is equipped with a nice degree of athleticism, as evidenced by his Next Gen Stats athleticism score of 96 at the 2025 combine. It was good for first among all receivers. So, there is a chance that he could develop into a productive receiver one day.

However, I don't believe it was worth it to deal multiple draft assets for a player who is likely a No. 4 receiver at best this upcoming season.

To me, another puzzling move from Holmes was his decision to wait until the sixth round (pick No. 196) to select an EDGE defender. He allowed a variety of solid options at the position – including Boston College's Donovan Ezeiruaku, Marshall's Mike Green, Michigan's Josaiah Stewart and Ohio State's Jack Sawyer – to come off the board before pulling the trigger on Boise State's Ahmed Hassanein.

Hassanein nailed his first media session with reporters, talking about how he's willing to “die on the football field” for Dan Campbell and the Lions. And if you turn on his film, you'll see right away that he plays violently and with a relentless motor. So, he could very easily grow into a Detroit fan favorite. 

However, it's also worth mentioning that Hassanein, the first ever Egyptian drafted by an NFL franchise, did not start playing organized football until 2019.

So from all accounts, he is still very much a developmental prospect. For starters, he needs to improve upon both his tackling ability and technique as a pass-rusher before he can become a reliable EDGE at the next level.

Subsequently, I believe that the Lions – no offense to Hassanein or oft-injured veteran Marcus Davenport – will continue to have a void at EDGE opposite Pro Bowler Aidan Hutchinson. And until they fill the hole with a proven pass-rusher, I believe that Detroit will continue to fall short of its lofty Super Bowl-or-bust expectations.

Don't get me wrong, Holmes still came out of Green Bay with a solid overall haul. Of note, he also took Ohio State interior defensive lineman Tyleik Williams in the first round (No. 28 overall). He should be a more-than-adequate replacement at the start of the 2025 campaign for Alim McNeill, who is expected to miss some time as he continues to recover from a torn ACL. Williams profiles as a run-stuffing defensive tackle who has a chance to develop into a productive three-technique lineman.

At the end of the day, though, Holmes could not care one bit about what you or I think about his draft strategy. He's going to continue to select the players that he believes best fit the Lions’ roster (and in whatever rounds he desires), draft value be damned. And he certainly has the right to. 

Just take a look at the first-round picks he's made over the years. He has selected a wide receiver (Jameson Williams; No. 12 overall in 2022), a running back (Jahmyr Gibbs; No. 12 overall in 2023) and a linebacker (Jack Campbell; No. 18 overall in ‘23). A general manager who cares about perceived draft value likely would have never made those three picks. 

Yet, those players have all played integral roles in transforming the once cellar-dwelling Lions into back-to-back NFC North division champions.

Surely, Holmes is not immune from criticism, nor should any GM be. However, today is not the day to make the verdict on his 2025 draft class.