Lions GM Brad Holmes on Draft-Day Trades: ‘When We Want Someone, We Go Get Them’
ALLEN PARK — Brad Holmes wasn’t shy about making bold moves on Day 2 of the NFL Draft, executing a pair of aggressive trades to move up the board and land players he and head coach Dan Campbell felt strongly about.
To start the day, Detroit sent picks No. 60 and No. 130 to the Denver Broncos in exchange for picks No. 57 and No. 230. With that 57th pick, the Lions selected Georgia offensive lineman Tate Ratledge. Not long after Ratledge wrapped up his media session, Holmes struck again.
This time, the Lions dealt three third-round selections to the Jacksonville Jaguars to move up to the 70th overall pick, which they used to draft Arkansas wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa. In return, Detroit also received the 182nd pick and a future sixth-rounder. Two of the picks Detroit gave up were originally acquired through compensatory selections tied to former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn taking the Jets’ head coaching job.
Holmes emphasized that when the Lions identify a player they truly believe in, they don’t hesitate. He acknowledged the volume of picks they gave up but said the front office acts decisively when both he and Campbell are aligned on a player.
“At the end of the day, it comes down to who we really believe in,” Holmes said. “When we’re on the same page — and we usually are — we trust that feeling and go get our guy. We don’t overthink it.”
Holmes said he felt a strong consensus building around each of their selections — including Ratledge and TeSlaa. He shared that his first impression of TeSlaa came at the Senior Bowl, where the receiver’s blocking stood out immediately. Reviewing film only confirmed that TeSlaa brought much more to the table.
“You feel that conviction grow,” Holmes said. “When I saw TeSlaa blocking, I was like, ‘Wait, who is this kid?’ Then you watch the rest of the tape and realize he’s got a lot more in his game. It was the same with Ratledge.”
Heading into the final day of the draft, Detroit still holds five picks — two in the sixth round and three in the seventh. Holmes said there’s flexibility to either move up again or stick and make value selections. One thing he made clear: the Lions won’t draft based on outside pressure to fill a position, like edge rusher, unless the value is right.
“There were moments where we tried to go up and get an edge rusher, but the opportunity didn’t line up,” Holmes said. “Sometimes they’re gone before you can make a move. And sometimes, we just had someone rated higher on our board. We always take the best player available — and that won’t change tomorrow.”
