Detroit Lions: Brad Holmes needs to avoid drafting a WR in the first round
By Bob Heyrman
As the Detroit Lions continue to prepare for the NFL Draft, which takes place in just a couple of weeks, starting April 29th, the new regime needs to consider all of its options carefully.
The NFL Draft is supposed to be Lions’ newly appointed general manager (GM) Brad Holmes’ strength. Holmes, by all accounts, had been in charge of putting together the Rams draft board for years before accepting the GM job in Detroit.
Let’s not forget, while Holmes was the man in charge of orchestrating the draft board, he wasn’t in a position to have the final say. There is a difference between the two. It’s one thing to bang the table and beg your boss to trade up in the draft to select a specific player such as Jared Goff, but it’s a whole different animal being the one to walk up to the podium and administer the selection.
We will never know what happens behind closed doors, who said what, but we will always remember the GM who picked said player. Right now, the pressure is on Brad Holmes to make the correct choice in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
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The Detroit Lions will have options before making their first pick in the NFL Draft, but that choice should not be a receiver.
It’s ok to shift gears as the draft approaches. There is an abundance of pass-catchers in this draft, and the Detroit Lions shouldn’t consider taking one with the seventh overall pick.
Selecting a receiver in the top ten is a luxury, not a priority, although it’s understandably difficult to avoid at times.
The rebuilding Detroit Lions are currently not in a position to make luxury draft choices. The Lions require building blocks.
You can’t build a franchise without a foundation; that foundation needs to be built from the inside out. First, the organization needs a franchise quarterback, followed by the offensive and defensive line. Then it’s the second level of the defense plus the secondary, receivers, and running backs.
If the Detroit Lions are committed to Goff being the quarterback of the future, Holmes should consider selecting Penei Sewell or Rashawn Slater, solidifying the offensive line for years to come.
If the Lions are not fully committed to Goff, they need to use the seventh pick on a quarterback, preferably Justin Fields or Trey Lance, depending on which player falls in their lap. If the 49ers are not bluffing and are actually committed to drafting Mac Jones third overall, one or both of those quarterbacks mentioned will likely be available.
Another option is to trade out of the no. 7 pick adding more draft capital but only far enough back to still have the opportunity to draft linebacker Micah Parsons.
It would be nice to surround Goff with a player like Ja’Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle, Kyle Pitts, or DeVonta Smith but adding a future franchise quarterback, top-of-the-class offensive lineman, or a linebacker that can do it all is far more impactful for a rebuilding organization.
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The Detroit Lions will still have an opportunity to pick a starting receiver in the second or third round of the draft. Players like Rondale Moore, Terrace Marshall Jr, Amari Rodgers, Nico Collins, Dyami Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Tylan Wallace, D’Wayne Eskridge, and Chatarius Atwell, all of which have day-one starting ability, are expected to be available to begin round two and carry over into three.