The Detroit Lions, under the general managership of Brad Holmes, will start the Draft with a selection outside of the top-10 for the first time.
Holmes has made moves in the first round and ended up with impact players in the last two rounds. He moved up from No. 32 overall in the 2022 season to select Jameson Williams, then at No. 12, he selected Jahmyr Gibbs, moving out of the top-10 to gain cash.
Given that the Lions will select towards the end of the first round, Holmes may have another chance to act on opening night in the 2024 Draft.
The fact that the Draft will be held in the Lions’ stadium adds to the mystery and may make for an exciting moment if Holmes decides to make a trade in order to advance.
The third-year general manager of the Lions’ intentions will rely on how he feels about the board. Regardless of positional need, he has demonstrated a willingness to advance to sign players at the top of his rankings.
The inside offensive line positions and cornerback are two areas where the Lions are generally in need of improvement. The cornerback class is expected to have some of its best prospects selected early, but the Lions may choose to hold off on signing a top prospect.
Consequently, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Holmes advance to get a player in that spot. The tandem of Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry from Alabama, Cooper DeJean from Iowa, and Quinyon Mitchell from Toledo are among the top prospects at the position.
When it comes to players of all positions, Holmes can make these moves, that much is evident. It is therefore beneficial to monitor elite players in skill positions other than quarterback and running back.
Moving up will be tough for the Lions because they don’t have as much Draft capital as they did in previous years. Nonetheless, Holmes is a bold general manager who isn’t hesitant to give something up in order to get a player he wants.
