Brad Holmes: Detroit Lions ‘Process’ Is Paramount to NFL Success
The Detroit Lions are fresh off their best season and find themselves closer to championship contention than in the past three decades, but that doesn’t mean GM Brad Holmes is the least bit satisfied.
He’s also not about to change the formula that’s worked so well, at least well enough to transform the Lions from bottom-dwellers to to contender status.
“I firmly believe in letting the process handle the results,” Holmes declared on Tuesday at the scouting combine. As a result, the procedure will always be the first. I believe that you might say that you should let up on the gas and run the risk of getting into serious problems once you begin to kind of revel in your accomplishments.
Therefore, I do believe that it is impossible to ever ease off the gas in this league. I have repeatedly stated that regardless of how fantastic our roster gets or how good we become as a club, we will always follow the same procedure and keep pushing forward to get better as much as we can.
During his own media availability earlier on Tuesday, head coach Dan Campbell made it clear that the Lions’ “process” prioritizes draft-and-develop over all other factors.
Perhaps the only downside to the on-field success is that the Lions aren’t choosing nearly as highly as they used to. That’s the only difference these days.
Though the Lions now own the 29th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, two years after they had the No. 2 pick (which they used on Aidan Hutchinson), Holmes still sees some value in having some flexibility in that regard.
All Holmes can do is hope to repeat his successful draft performance from the previous year, when he went up and down the board to select running back Jahmyr Gibbs, linebacker Jack Campbell, tight end Sam LaPorta, safety Brian Branch, and quarterback Hendon Hooker from one of the league’s best draft classes.
“Having that flexibility in our current situation is exciting because a lot can happen when you’re sitting back there,” Holmes remarked. You’re kind of out of the top 10 beauty pageants, you know, and you’re just like, “Look man, this is find the best football player.” I don’t want to come across as pressuring you.
As of right now, the Lions are slated to select seven players in the 2024 draft, with two selections in the third round and none in the fourth.
