I’ve been thinking on this a lot and it must be some kind of semantic nuance in his head.
Best I can figure, the old rams regime looked at their depth chart and said we need a DT badly so that is what we will draft first. Many would have been tempted to take Jalen Carter despite the concerns because he could be a top starter at the top position of need.
Instead, Holmes looked at the draft and rated players top to bottom. They know they could use depth or potential challenging starters all over and tried to figure out where they could get the best value by position of players they like.
DT had a wide range of potential from rounds 1-3 (if you eliminate carter and Kauncy isn’t a fit for their needs of a top run stuffer). It explains why he let Carter go and why he got worried about losing Martin when a bunch of DTs were getting picked.
They are trusting their scouting and rankings and when they see runs on certain positions, it hastens their moves up. When there are a lot of players they like at specific positions, they are open to favorable trades.
With Running back, if they didn’t get Gibbs, they probably had a lesser player scouted in say the 4th round and may have waited until then to draft him. Someone dynamic like Gibbs but not elite or some other hole in their game.
With Safety, I think Branch was just too good to pass up at that pick and they had intel that the Patriots liked him and had met with him and so they felt the need to jump them a few spots and give up a 5th to get him.
Overall, Holmes does feel like he is over driving this car. Pushing more buttons and pulling more levers than he needs to for success, however he’s clearly locked in, has a plan, cares, and most importantly is competent. He is helping the lions get significantly better with every draft and this one looks more of the same to me.
I don’t see any issue with any of the trades. Trying to look at from a high level doesn’t make sense to me. Its not about the draft position. It’s about the players. When it looks like the guy you want is gonna fall, you drop back. When someone you want is able to be got by moving up a bit, you move up. Holmes, Campbell and company came in with players they wanted and did what needed to get those players.
I like it a lot. I feel the more you have “your guys” on the roster…the more aggressively you go after the exact player you want…Targeting more aggressively becomes a bigger thing.
We are getting so much talent at such a torrid pace that we’re gonna have to package & trade for future picks, as well as moving up for players with higher potential.
these later round guys chance of making our roster after this year is very low
the alternative is just cutting a bunch of really good players anyway.
We will cut some nice players this year…Next year, lots of ppl are gonna be pissex when they lose some of the guys they like most.
It’s interesting to note it wasn’t just Brad Holmes. There was a record amount of trades in this draft. I wonder if this year was an anomaly, or whether front offices are simply getting more targeted in general and leaving less to chance.
I think I like the aggressive nature, but I am curious to see how it plays out. I think the thing that surprises me the most is how many premium resources were used on non-premium positions. Yes I know the positional value thing is a dead horse at this point on here - but even look at DT Martin in the 3rd round. Brad gave up 3 draft picks to go get a nose tackle?
Last thing I’ll mention is that we all heard before how much Holmes wanted to trade up for epic bust Levi. Thank goodness he was talked out of it. However Brad seems to be very, very confident in himself at this point. It feels with his past draft successes he’s really running crazy with trades. I wonder if it’s still as “team effort and majority decisions” as it first was.
@Luke i agree with a lot of your post and you make some good points.
I do…. I like a GM who’s not afraid to go get what he wants. Who’s not afraid to go against the grain. But when you’re this aggressive you better be good at making the right picks.
But if Williams last year and a bunch of these picks this year fail then we all would view this much differently too.
But I think Holmes has a small list of players he wants and he’s going to move around to get them. Im ok with that.
I think it is a legitimate question and goes back to Draft one where he wanted to move up for Levi and was talked out of it by his own admission.
In draft three is he relying on his gut more than counsel, I don’t know, and not saying he is. I question what he gave up for Martin, would Martin be there in the fourth he was afterall a projected 6th or 7th round pick.
While I love the LaPorta pick would he have been there three 10 picks later or an equivalent TE? Don’t know and at the end, I cop out and trust BH.
But, it is a legitimate question/debate. I do think that BH Lions staff has a better feel for medicals and what the other NFL teams are thinking than I or, we, do.
The Brodric Martin pick has the appearance of a need pick. On the other hand, drafting for a talent needy team like the Lions in 2021 is a different animal than drafting for a peaking team like most view the Lions in 2023. Brodric could fill a distinct role immediately goal line and 4th down formations with Buggs–the Filler Bees(?)!!!
Quick, somebody start a nickname thread. Colby is too easily The Big Cheese…
I think Martin could be the Houston of this years Lions team, contributes late, in a substantial manner. Now, granted may not be to the level Houston did but if he can plug the middle…
I think he’s going to really bloom in 2024. I think he needs a full year of NFL training & coaching. 2023 is going to be hard on him. He just needs to push through it and come into 2024 ready to dominate.
I’m with weeze → I’m thinking we xon’t even have enough roster spots for a bunch of 7th rounders anyway. Go for quality…cuz quantity won’t even make the roster.