The Lions Just Drafted Some Stone Cold Athletes (And Maybe a Ghost)
Remember when Brad Holmes and his Allen Park brain trust strutted into the 2025 draft wearing those black hoodies with H-S-W crossed out? Height, speed, weight with a big fat line through it. The message was clear: we’re about film evaluation, not combine warriors.
“Height, weight, speed, it is the opposite of film evaluation, and we’re all about film evaluation, and that’s the hard part of scouting,” Holmes said about the attire. “Height, weight, speed is easy. Stats are easy. A position listed is easy. But film evaluation is hard to figure out.”
And yet. Here we are looking at a draft class that would make a track coach weep with joy.
Blake Miller Tested Like a Freak Show
Miller clocked a 9.90 RAS score, which ranks 17th among all offensive tackles since 1987. Read that again. The 17th highest athletic score at his position in nearly four decades of combine data.
His technique needs work against speed rushers, sure. But when you’re built like that and you’ve got Penei Sewell showing you the ropes? That’s what we call a high floor with a ceiling that might scrape the Ford Field roof.
Derrick Moore: The Invisible Man
Moore doesn’t have an RAS score because he didn’t complete enough testing due to a hamstring injury. He’s checking in lighter than most edge rushers Detroit typically pairs with Aidan Hutchinson, which is either intriguing or concerning depending on how you feel about Holmes jumping up from pick 50 to grab him.
The move made sense. Moore was their highest-ranked edge rusher, and they needed to leap ahead of his former coach Jesse Minter, who’s now running Baltimore. Sometimes you draft the ghost and hope he materializes.
Jimmy Rolder and Kendrick Law: Athletic Specimens
Rolder scored a 9.53 RAS, ranking 165th out of 3,480 linebackers since 1987. He’s going to compete for the spot Alex Anzalone vacated, and with that combination of size and athleticism, Kelvin Sheppard has some serious tools to work with.
Law clocked a 9.60 RAS, putting him 169th among 4,196 receivers since 1987. The special teams battle between Law, Dominic Lovett, and Greg Dortch should be entertaining. Law clears both of them athletically, which matters when you’re trying to return kicks without getting your head taken off.
The Middle Ground
Keith Abney II landed at 6.51 RAS, ranking 1,073rd out of 3,075 cornerbacks. He’s short and light for the position, but his speed scores check out. Moving him to the slot makes sense given his athletic profile and the fact that he was considered great value where Detroit grabbed him.
Skyler Gill-Howard posted a 5.62 RAS, ranking 999th out of 2,278 defensive tackles. He’s the second undersized defensive lineman Holmes has drafted, and while he doesn’t have Mekhi Wingo’s speed and agility numbers, he’s got pass-rush moves and the right pad level to compensate.
Tyre West: The Anti-Athlete Champion
West scored a 4.65 RAS, ranking 1,209th out of 2,257 defensive ends. He wins this year’s crossed-out H-S-W pick award, and honestly, good for Holmes for staying true to his word.
But here’s the thing. If you consider West an interior defender rather than an edge rusher, his RAS jumps to 7.42. Position matters, and Holmes knows exactly where he plans to use these guys.
So what do we have here? A draft class that somehow manages to be both incredibly athletic and perfectly aligned with Holmes’ film-first philosophy. The man crossed out height, weight, and speed, then went out and drafted some of the most athletic players at their positions in decades.
That’s not contradiction. That’s having your cake and eating it too, which frankly feels like the most Lions thing ever in the best possible way.
Did Holmes accidentally draft a bunch of combine heroes while trying to avoid combine heroes, or is this what happens when you actually know what you’re looking for? Drop your take below.
