The Lions Draft That Keeps on Giving
Brad Holmes just wrapped another draft, and we’re still finding players who came out looking better than they did going in. Sure, Jeremy already covered the obvious winners from our draft haul, but there are more Lions who should be sleeping a little easier knowing they’ve got better pieces around them or clearer paths to meaningful snaps.
Here are six more guys who benefited from Holmes doing what Holmes does best.
Juice Scruggs Finally Gets His Shot
Remember when we got Scruggs in that David Montgomery trade? Then Holmes signed Cade Mays in free agency to lock down center long-term, and suddenly it looked like Scruggs might be the odd man out. The internet kept screaming about drafting another center, especially with all the overdrafting happening at the position. Logan Jones to Chicago, Jake Slaughter to the Chargers. Classic reaches.
Holmes didn’t bite. Good.
Now Scruggs heads into 2026 with a legitimate opportunity. He’ll just need to beat out Michael Niese and Seth McLaughlin for the backup center role behind Mays, while also offering flexibility as a reserve at both guard spots. Plus, he gets a full year developing under Hank Fraley, which should set him up nicely whether that’s as a starter somewhere else or as a valuable swing piece in Detroit.
If we need him to step in at center this season, he’ll be a hell of a lot better than what we had to roll out there with an aging, out-of-position Graham Glasgow.
Alim McNeill Gets the Help He Needs
For the first time since he’s been here, McNeill didn’t take that next step last season. We watched him flash more splash plays in 2022, become a more consistent every-down presence in 2023, and evolve into a true game-plan disruptor in 2024, even after Aidan Hutchinson’s injury. Last season? Different story. He never quite looked right coming back from injury.
Two years removed from that injury now, Holmes has built the depth around him that should help McNeill get back to being McNeill. Skyler Gill-Howard and Tyre West from the late rounds, plus getting Levi Onwuzurike, Tyler Lacy, and Mekhi Wingo back gives us real flexibility up front.
The key here is workload. McNeill is at his best in that 35-50 snap range, not the 55-70 snaps he was grinding through last season. A fresher McNeill who can focus on penetrating and creating chaos instead of trying to be a workhorse? That’s the player who earned his extension.
Aidan Hutchinson’s Iron Man Days Are Numbered
A healthy McNeill lining up next to Hutch on passing downs is already an upgrade from last season. But the real winner here is Hutch’s snap count. The man logged 1,005 defensive snaps last season, 66 more than any edge rusher had played over the previous two years. That’s not sustainable.
Derrick Moore changes that equation. Finally, we have another legitimate threat off the edge who can win one-on-ones and prevent offenses from sliding extra help toward Hutchinson every single snap. Moore isn’t just another body, he’s a real player who can condense pocket protection instead of being the sacrificial lamb we’ve watched get worked over.
At this stage, entering his age-26 season as a foundational piece of the defense, this is about preservation as much as production. Trim even a handful of snaps per game and you get a fresher Hutch in December, a more effective Hutch in the playoffs, and hopefully a Hutch who can stay healthy long-term. That matters more than any counting stat.
Thomas Harper Survives Another Day
Harper is coming off a breakout 2025 season after being claimed off waivers following training camp—starting nine games, totaling 37 tackles, five pass breakups, and finishing as PFF’s 11th-highest graded safety (77.8).
Despite what everyone called a strong safety class, Holmes didn’t take one. Five defensive picks, zero safeties. As Brad put it, the board didn’t line up and he didn’t think the class was that deep. That’s huge for Harper.
Beyond the uncertainty around Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch, Harper has a legitimate case as our third-most valuable safety. He’s also the most experienced in the system after those two, logging 482 defensive snaps last season, and his ability to play both free and strong safety makes him even more valuable.
With Harper set to be a restricted free agent, he projects as a cost-controlled option heading into 2027. Only Joseph and Dan Jackson are under contract at safety beyond this season, which puts Harper in a great spot whether he’s depth or a starter.
LaPorta and Branch Get the Support They Need
Holmes has been clear about wanting to lock up all four pieces from that 2023 class long-term. Gibbs, Campbell, LaPorta, and Branch. That’s easier said than done when you’re already handing out extensions and both LaPorta and Branch are entering Year 4—contract seasons coming off of injury.
Then we went through the entire 2026 NFL Draft without addressing tight end or safety. That tells you something about how Holmes views both players long-term, especially when there are no tight ends under contract beyond this season and minimal safety commitments moving forward.
The pieces around them matter too. LaPorta gets Blake Miller helping stabilize that offensive line. When he’s aligned as a true Y, he’ll be flanked by either Penei Sewell or Miller. Two guys who should be assets in the run game and capable pass protectors. That gives LaPorta enforcers to combo block with and should reduce how often he’s needed to chip in protection.
For Branch, Keith Abney II could emerge as a starting-caliber nickel, which elevates the secondary while allowing Branch to stay more consistently at safety. Instead of shifting back into nickel responsibilities like his rookie year, Branch can lean into his versatility from a true safety alignment and impact the game more freely.
That’s the kind of long-term thinking that separates this front office from the disasters we lived through for decades.
Think Holmes nailed another draft or are we just getting ahead of ourselves again? Drop your take in the comments.
This is what I’ve been saying all offseason – Holmes doesn’t panic and draft just to draft. The fact that he looked at that safety class and said no thanks speaks volumes about his confidence in Harper and the guys we have. That’s the kind of patience that builds real teams.
I want to believe the Hutch situation gets fixed with Moore, but we gotta see it happen first. The snap count thing is legit concerning and I hope this actually translates to him getting real rest instead of just being a feel-good story we tell ourselves in July.
Man, watching this front office actually think about player development and long-term building instead of just throwing darts at a board – it’s night and day compared to what we used to suffer through. Holmes gets it. This draft class working out as depth pieces that help your stars? That’s the kind of stuff that wins in December.