The Detroit Lions were on cloud nine coming into the draft. After a solid season, they owned two picks in the top 20. This morning, fans are wondering what GM Brad Holmes was thinking. After trading back to 12, the Lions took running back Jahmyr Gibbs and then followed up by taking linebacker Jack Campbell with number 18. Holmes defended the picks in a post-draft interview.
#Lions GM Brad Holmes says both RB Jahmyr Gibbs and LB Jack Campbell were the highest rated players "by a wide margin" on the board when they made those picks.
"There was no other whatever you would tab as a premium position. 'Oh you gotta get a pass-rusher or tackle.' No.…
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) April 28, 2023
Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes Defends 1st-Round Picks
These players are not bad players. As with any draft, it is a question of value. Running back and linebacker are not high-value positions. You can find off-ball linebackers for cheap on the open market and the Jamaal Williams season last year showed you can find running back value anywhere. However, Holmes said that those players were the highest rated on their board “by a wide margin” when the picks were made. He went on to say that he doesn’t care about positional value.
“There was no other whatever you would tab as a premium position. ‘Oh you gotta get a pass-rusher or tackle.’ No. That’s not what the case was. We’ll just take the best player for us.”
He is taking the best player available and not worried about what position they play. Gibbs and Campbell were the best players on the board so they were taken.
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A Risky Strategy
I applaud Holmes for forging his own path. NFL GMs shouldn’t listen to what fans want. However, this is a risky strategy. At both picks, there were other quality players on the board. Campbell might have been available in a later round meaning they could’ve gotten another player and Campbell. If both players turn into superstars and the Lions win a lot of games, all is forgiven. If not, Holmes will have a lot of questions to answer. While he may not believe in positional value, it’s real.
The Detroit Lions were one of the NFC favorites but now people are starting to question the team. With Jameson Williams suspended for the first six games and the first-round picks of Gibbs and Campbell, the Lions seem less scary. It will be interesting to see how these picks pan out for Detroit.
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