Every NFL team looks at the NFL Draft as an opportunity to improve, which happens in two ways. For organizations looking to build a winner, the draft offers potentially foundational pieces to build a roster around.
On the other hand, teams in the playoff hunt, like the Detroit Lions, can turn to the draft to put the final touches on their attempts to win a Super Bowl. Their general manager recently made a decision that he hopes will pay dividends later this month.
Brad Holmes Talks About Skipping NFL Owners’ Meeting
For the first time since the 2022 NFL season, the Lions did not make the playoffs. Although they won nine games, they finished fourth in the NFC North. Holmes skipped the annual NFL owners’ meetings in Phoenix. Instead, he stayed back in Michigan to get ready for the draft.
“Well, it was really more so in the past where I’ve gotten for our process,” Holmes said. “It’s a lot of time that you miss. By the time that you get back, I’m in kind of a makeup mode because of all the time that you miss for our process.”
The NFL owners’ meeting took place from March 29 to March 31. An annual event, the meeting features owners, general managers, and coaches.
One of the prime goals of the meetings is to hear rule proposals. Last season, proposals to outlaw the “Tush Push” required votes, but it didn’t get enough to be banned. Meanwhile, Holmes decided not to halt his draft process.
While Holmes’ 39-28-1 record amounts to one of the better records in Lions’ general manager history, the ability to sustain the success also matters. For the first time in the franchise’s history, dating back to 1928 as the Portsmouth Spartans, the franchise posted back-to-back 10-win seasons.
However, despite this success, the Lions have not advanced to the Super Bowl. Holmes believed that staying in the midst of the draft preparation kept everything moving, and he didn’t need to pick up where he left off if he went to Phoenix.
“So that’s why I just said, look, in order for me to try to avoid being in that makeup mode, because now you hop into draft meetings with the scouts, and it just keeps rolling, but you missed a good chunk of time for us. So that’s what went into it.
BE AN NFL GM: PFSN’s Ultimate GM Simulator
The Lions hold nine draft picks in the draft, starting with the No. 17 selection. One of their points of emphasis could be the defense. Last season, they allowed 24.3 points per game. Moreover, the unit ranked No. 14 in the league according to PFSN’s Defense Impact Metric. The season prior, Detroit had the fourth-ranked defense in the NFL with an impact score of 80.6.
The NFL Draft begins on April 23 at 8 p.m. Eastern, and all eyes will be on Detroit’s draft picks to put the team back among the NFC contenders.
