The Detroit Lions’ free agency was disappointing for most fans as they didn’t go hard after some of the top names. While fans were hoping for a big move that would erase the disappointment of missing the playoffs, the Lions looked to sand the edges of their roster instead of ripping out the floorboards, especially in the case of D.J. Wonnum.
Wonnum has been a solid, but not spectacular player throughout his career and should help the Lions. But general manager Brad Holmes may have surprised some people with his comments that the team is looking to supplement him instead of finding a higher-upside pass rusher in the upcoming NFL Draft.
But just as Wonnum may be smiling about his role with the Lions, it comes with a catch, as Holmes also added that the team is not afraid to make an “all-in” move if it means enhancing their chances of making a Super Bowl run in 2026.
“Absolutely, yeah. If it’s the right guy, yeah,” Holmes said via Crunch Time Sports. “You guys know me. I feel like you guys get mad at me sometimes that I do that too much. If we have that kind of conviction for a player, absolutely, we’re gonna go and get them.”
D.J. Wonnum Trending Up, but Lions Draft Plans Raise Questions
At first glance, Wonnum should be thrilled at Holmes’s comments. In six seasons in the NFL, he’s only racked up 30 total sacks. But that includes two eight-sack seasons and a penchant for stopping the run and freeing up his teammates to make plays. While it’s more attractive to have a pure pass-rusher like Al-Quadin Muhammad, Wonnum fits more into the Lions’ motivation, which could fuel Holmes’s belief that he can handle a starting role.
“You’re talking about guys that have been starters in the NFL,” Holmes continued. “But kind of look at where the trend is going, where the arrow is going, they are still young. But we feel good about both of them. So we don’t feel like we have to supplement them.”
But pairing those comments with the possibility of trading up may compromise that thinking. One case could be the status of Miami defensive end Rueben Bain.
Listed as the No. 7 overall prospect on NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus big board, Bain could fall on draft day due to his small arms (30 ⅞” per MockDraftable) and his involvement in a fatal crash that stemmed from a report by Oliver Connolly of The Read Optional. When asked about the report, Holmes said “that really doesn’t change anything from our standpoint” via The Athletic’s Colton Pouncy and while he did not mention Bain specifically as a target, those comments could make someone like him worth keeping an eye on as the draft plays out.
Even if it’s not for Bain, Holmes has shown a tendency to go get his guys during the draft. Holmes has made 15 draft-day trades since arriving in 2021, and 12 of those deals have involved a trade up. Those moves helped the Lions land Jameson Williams in 2022, Brian Branch in 2023, Terrion Arnold in 2024, and Isaac TeSlaa in 2025. While they aren’t the “all-in” move Holmes is talking about, it does show some aggressiveness.
Perhaps Holmes is telling the truth, and he believes that Wonnum can be an every-down player. But if an edge rusher he likes begins to fall, he could pull the trigger to go get him. That could be a complement to Wonnum, but it could also be a player with more upside who could make his arrival in Detroit become a short-lived situation.