Holmes Says Lions Don’t Need to Draft OT or EDGE, and I’m Having Flashbacks
Here we go again. Brad Holmes stood in front of reporters at Allen Park on Monday and declared that the Detroit Lions don’t have to draft an offensive tackle or edge rusher this year. You know, the two positions that every mock draft has us taking in the first two rounds.
Look, I get it. Holmes signed Larry Borom and DJ Wonnum in free agency, and he’s got to sell those moves. But telling us we’re set at tackle and edge? That’s some bold talk from a GM whose team just watched their Super Bowl dreams die because they couldn’t protect Jared Goff or get to the quarterback when it mattered most.
The Free Agency Band-Aid Approach
Holmes is hanging his hat on Borom, the former Dolphins tackle who got a one-year, $5 million deal. Wonnum, the edge rusher, landed a one-year, $3 million contract. These aren’t exactly franchise-altering signings.
Borom has started 38 games in his career. Wonnum has 54 starts. Holmes thinks they both have “starter-level ability” and feels good about where their arrows are pointing. That’s GM speak for “we hope these guys work out because we didn’t want to break the bank.”
And yes, I know what you’re thinking. This sounds familiar, doesn’t it? How many times have we heard Lions management talk up their depth signings only to watch them get exposed when the lights get bright?
Premium Position Logic That Makes Sense
To his credit, Holmes isn’t completely living in fantasy land. He admitted that offensive tackle is a premium position where “you can never really have enough” talent. He even said there are some good prospects in this year’s draft at the position.
That’s the kind of thinking that should keep Lions fans cautiously optimistic. Holmes understands the value of protecting your franchise quarterback. He’s learned from watching what happened when the offensive line crumbled in the playoffs.
But then he goes and says they don’t feel like they have to supplement what they have. That’s where the old Lions fan anxiety starts creeping in.
The Dangerous Game of Need vs. Value
Holmes made his usual pitch about not chasing needs in the draft. He said he can’t sleep at night when you pass up a better player just to fill a roster hole. It’s solid draft philosophy that has served this franchise well since he took over.
The problem is that offensive tackle and edge rusher aren’t just needs. They’re positions where good players can transform your entire team. Miss on those spots, and you’re watching other teams play in February while you’re making excuses about injuries and bad luck.
Holmes has earned some benefit of the doubt. This isn’t the Matt Millen era where we were drafting wide receivers in the top 10 while our offensive line looked like a turnstile. But declaring victory in March based on one-year deals feels premature.
What This Really Means for Draft Night
Is Holmes just protecting the guys he signed, or does he really believe Borom and Wonnum are the answer? We’ll find out in less than two weeks when the draft kicks off.
The smart money says Holmes will still take the best player available, regardless of position. But if a top-tier tackle or edge rusher falls to them, you better believe they’ll be sprinting to the podium. That’s how you build sustainable success in this league.
Lions fans have been burned too many times by management that thought they had positions solved when they clearly didn’t. Remember when we thought we were set at linebacker? How about when our secondary was supposedly deep enough?
Trust but Verify
Holmes has done enough right to earn our trust. The man rebuilt this roster from the ground up and got us to an NFC Championship game. But football is a “what have you done for me lately” business, and lately means winning when it counts most.
Maybe Borom and Wonnum will surprise everyone. Maybe Holmes sees something in their tape that makes him confident they can handle starting roles. Maybe this is all part of a master plan that ends with Honolulu Blue confetti falling at Ford Field.
Or maybe we’re about to learn the hard way that you can never have too much talent at premium positions. Detroit fans know which scenario feels more familiar, but we’re still here, still believing, still loud about it. That’s what makes us Lions fans.
The draft will tell the real story. It always does.
