Brad Holmes Built a Run-Stopping Machine This Offseason, Whether He Admits It or Not
The most important part of the offseason is over for the Detroit Lions. The acquisition period. They’ve fielded a team, and now it’s time to go get that team ready to play the 2026 season.
But before we get to that point, let’s take a moment to reflect on what the Lions did during that important stretch. They signed a lot of players and drafted a large chunk of guys, and the majority of them play defense. The majority of them also specialise in one part of defense more than anything else.
Making Teams One-Dimensional Was Clearly the Plan
Derrick Moore can stop the run. D.J. Wonnum can stop the run. Pretty much all the guys the Lions got in their secondary can stop the run. It’s what binds all these players together.
And you know what? This isn’t a bad way to go about building a defense.
Take a look at the top 10 teams against the run last year. Almost all of them made the playoffs. That includes the two teams from the Super Bowl and the team that won it. Not many of those teams were top 10 in sacks either. Just three of them. Only five of the top 10 teams in the NFL in sacks made the playoffs.
So you can understand why the Lions would want to go this route.
They were one of the teams that finished in the top 10 in sacks and didn’t make the playoffs. They were fourth in the league. But they allowed 114 rushing yards per game and got gashed at the end of the year when the injuries happened. A time in which they actually had more sacks.
Right now, the plan in free agency looked like find guys who can stop the run, and the plan in the draft was to do the same, but also get guys who can pass rush. Marry these two things together and be a complete defense. That’s the plan on paper. But it all starts with making teams one-dimensional.
Holmes Says It Wasn’t Intentional, But Come On
Last Saturday, after Day three of the draft concluded, Lions GM Brad Holmes was asked if this was the Lions’ plan this offseason. He said it wasn’t.
“Well, when you put it in that light, yes, it comes along with it, but really, you’re just looking for really gritty football players,” Holmes said. “In order to do that stuff in the run game, you do have to have a level of grit to you, and I know that was a huge emphasis for free agency and the Draft process. That’s also the bonus that came along with it.”
It’s an interesting response. It’s also essentially Holmes saying yes without really saying yes.
And look, I get it. You don’t want to telegraph your entire defensive philosophy to the league in April. But when you spend this much capital on run defenders, the theme becomes pretty damn clear regardless of what you tell the media.
This is the key at the end of the day. If the Lions can make this work, they’re going to be in so much better shape. Even if they’re saying that wasn’t their plan.
Did Holmes accidentally build the perfect run defense or is he just playing coy with his master plan? Either way, are you buying what he’s selling?
