How does Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes feel about the 2026 NFL Draft class heading into next week?
The NFL Draft in Pittsburgh is just over a week away as Lions general manager Brad Holmes and his personnel staff put the final touches on their draft board and complete their pre-draft prep over the next week. Holmes and the Lions currently have nine selections in next week’s draft.
Of the 36 selections made by Holmes dating back to his first draft in 2021, 20 have gone on to start as rookies (55.6 percent). Those 20 players have combined for 180 starts in their first year, and since Week 1 of the 2021 season, at least one rookie has started for Detroit in 83 of a possible 85 games. Seven of those picks have earned a Pro Bowl selection.
Holmes held a pre-draft press conference at the Meijer Performance Center Monday and spoke on a variety of topics. Here are all the key questions from Holmes’ presser:
How does Holmes feel the first wave of free agency went for Detroit?
The Lions’ big addition was center Cade Mays, who was the only free agent to sign a multi-year deal with the team. Other free-agent additions expected to play roles and make impacts for Detroit include T Larry Borom, EDGE DJ Wonnum, LB Damone Clark, DB Christian Izien, RB Isiah Pacheco and CB Roger McCreary to name a few.
“I feel like we did the best we could and we maximized the resources we had available,” Holmes said. “That’s my job to do that and I think we accomplished that.”
The Lions have signed a number of core players to contract extensions the last couple seasons and have more core members like linebacker Jack Campbell, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, safety Brian Branch and tight end Sam LaPorta quickly approaching the end of their rookie contracts.
While there are financial constraints the team is working with, Holmes said it’s a good problem to have that they’ve done so well drafting and developing that the third part of the equation – re-signing – has limited them some when it comes to making free-agent additions.
“At the end of the day, they are good problems and I’d rather have those problems,” he said.
