The 2026 NFL draft is approaching and several NFL GMs are making plans on how they want to play it out. Some teams could try trading up and down depending upon their requirements. But there is one GM who has made it clear that he will do anything that it takes to make the team better.
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes holds the 17th overall pick, which isn’t good enough if he wants a particular top 10 player.
“Absolutely. Yeah, if it’s the right guy. You guys know me. I feel like you guys get mad at me sometimes, I do it too much sometimes. But, no, if we have that kind of conviction for a player, absolutely. We’re going to go and get him,” Holmes said.
It’s not like he hasn’t done it before.
Holmes traded up in the first round two years ago to draft cornerback Terrion Arnold. In 2022, he traded up to get wide receiver Jameson Williams.
“It’s hard to sleep at night when you don’t get the player you really, really wanted because you reached for a need,” Holmes said.
This is giving fans plenty of reasons to believe that the Lions will repeat their strategy this year as well.
NFL GM Brad Holmes Reveals Reason Behind Going After Best Player
Brad Holmes operates a little differently while constructing his roster. While traditionally, GMs weigh pros and cons to conclude whether they should go after the best player, Holmes goes straight for the player, knowing every year it’s a different situation.
“I’ve always said the reason why we always go (for) the ‘best player available’ approach is because there is only one draft, and the roster’s going to change every single year,” Holmes said on Monday. “Every single year, it’s going to be new needs, contracts are going to expire, things are going to happen. So, what may not seem as an immediate, ‘I need this right now for this year,’ that might not be the case for the next year.”
This year, the Lions’ top needs are at offensive tackle and on the defensive edges. Holmes also mentioned that instead of focusing on the need, going for an organization that is fired about is more important. Therefore, Holmes only pick the players that gives the organization a reason to be excited about.
There is still a lot of time left for the draft day, so Holmes and his staff will have to work out the particulars behind the scenes.
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