Holmes Traded Up for This? Grading the Kendrick Law Pick
Well, here we go again. Brad Holmes decided to get cute in the fifth round, trading up from 181 to 168 and burning a sixth-round pick (213) to grab Kentucky wide receiver Kendrick Law. This was the first real head-scratcher of the 2026 NFL Draft for Detroit, coming after three straight defensive picks that actually made sense.
Nobody saw this coming. Not a single mock draft had wide receiver on the Lions‘ radar at this spot, and honestly, why would they? With bigger needs at tight end staring us in the face, Holmes went full best-player-available mode. The question is whether this trade-up was worth it or just another swing-and-miss project pick.
What This Means for the Roster
Law walks into a crowded receiver room where he’ll be fighting Greg Dortch and Dominic Lovett for the WR4 spot. Dortch came over in free agency to replace Kalif Raymond, and Lovett is a seventh-round pick from 2025 still trying to prove that pick was worth something. Law has kick return experience, which could be his ticket to staying on the roster if he can’t crack the offensive rotation.
Best case scenario? He becomes WR4 and the primary kick returner. Worst case? He gets cut because keeping six receivers isn’t realistic, and the practice squad becomes his new home. That’s a hell of a range for a fifth-round pick we traded up to get.
The College Resume
Law bounced from Alabama to Kentucky after three years in Tuscaloosa, which tells you something right there. He played 34 games with eight starts at Alabama, then 12 games and eight starts at Kentucky. At Alabama, he was mostly a kick returner in 2023 before seeing that role diminish in 2024, with little movement on the offensive side. Kentucky gave him a bigger role, but we’re still talking about limited production.
His college numbers: 86 catches for 883 yards and four touchdowns, plus 31 kick returns for 710 yards. Those aren’t exactly eye-popping stats for someone you trade up to get in the fifth round.
What He Does Well (And What He Doesn’t)
Credit where it’s due, Law has solid hands. He dropped only three passes in four years, which is impressive considering our receivers had issues with drops. He’s got decent athleticism with a 9.45 RAS and ran a 4.45 forty at the 2026 NFL Combine.
But here’s where it gets dicey. His route running needs serious work, averaging just 1.84 yards per route. His pass-blocking is rough. And with only 16 starting games over four college seasons, he’s going to need development time he might not get in Detroit. Sound familiar?
The Bottom Line
This feels like Holmes’s first real miss of the draft. Yeah, you could argue the first two picks were reaches, but this one takes the cake. Trading up for a project receiver when we have bigger holes at tight end, running back depth, and multiple defensive spots? That’s hard to justify.
Sure, a sixth-round pick isn’t much to give up, but using a fifth-rounder on what amounts to a kick returner with upside feels like another project player. We could have found a project like this in the sixth or seventh round without giving up additional capital.
Maybe Law proves me wrong. Maybe he becomes a legitimate contributor beyond special teams. But right now, this looks like a luxury pick on a team that still has legitimate needs to address.
Grade: C-
Did Holmes just waste a pick on another project player, or am I missing something here? Drop your hot takes below and tell me why I’m wrong about Law.
I get the criticism but I actually like the kick return upside here. We’ve needed someone who can contribute on special teams and maybe Law turns into more than that. Holmes has shown he knows what he’s doing overall, so I’m gonna trust the process on this one.
Here we go again trading up for another reclamation project. I’ve been burned too many times watching this team reach for guys when we have actual holes. Prove to me this kid is worth it before I get excited.
You know back in the day we used to just let these kinds of picks develop without all the instant judgment. Guy’s got decent hands and athleticism, maybe he just needs time to grow into the role. That’s what patience looks like in football.
People are sleeping on the special teams value here honestly. Having a real contributor on kick return coverage and return duties is underrated and this guy can be that while he learns the position. Could end up being a solid depth move.