The Detroit Lions' offseason will ultimately prove to be a pivotal point for the future of the organization. After losing offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, it feels like the team is set for a step backwards in 2025.
That said, head coach Dan Campbell has built a spectacular foundation despite losing to the Washington Commanders in the playoffs. General manager Brad Holmes deserves a lot of credit for finding excellent players in the NFL Draft and while he's found stars like Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta, he's had his fair share of misses as well.
It looks like 2023 third-round defensive tackle Brodric Martin could be one of those failed picks. He's appeared in only five games during his two seasons with one start, and now Holmes has seemingly put him on the hot seat with new comments ahead of April's draft.
Brodric Martin's future becomes cloudy with additions of Roy Lopez & Myles Adams to DT room
— Jimmy Liao MD | Detroit Lions Morning Rounds (@JimmyLiaoMD) March 12, 2025
-Played only 2 games in 2024
-Hope just due to lingering effects from preseason R knee hyperextension and he looks like a new player next season pic.twitter.com/egvztCc4B3
Lions GM Sends Message to DT Brodric Martin Before NFL Draft
As pointed out by Jimmy Liao on X, the Lions' signings of Roy Lopez and Myles Adams complicates Martin's future in the defensive line rotation. Holmes added fuel to that fire when speaking to the media at the annual league meetings.
"We need to see more of the consistency of the flashes and he just needs to be a consistent player, Holmes said according to Benjamin Martin of MLive. "And he knows that. We’ve had transparent conversations, and so, he knows that he needs to be a consistent player. He’s got all the ability, he’s got all the physical tools to be a consistent player."
Martin ranked a terrible 199th out of 219 qualified interior defensive linemen at Pro Football Focus, notching just three total tackles in 52 career snaps. That's a problem for a third-rounder and it appears that the front office is already preparing to move on from him.
That gives Martin a big opportunity this offseason to prove he's worth keeping on the roster. Should Detroit draft another interior lineman this month, that'll just make things for difficult for Martin to stick around.
He's got the athletic pedigree though, and now it's just time to rise to the challenge.