Amon-Ra St. Brown Loves What Brad Holmes Did in the 2026 Draft
The picks are in, and Amon-Ra St. Brown is breaking down Brad Holmes’ latest masterclass on his podcast. Because when your number one receiver is this excited about what the front office just pulled off, you listen.
St. Brown thinks Holmes and company nailed it when it comes to addressing the roster holes. And honestly, when has this regime ever let us down when it comes to talent evaluation?
“I feel like Blake (Miller) is exactly what we needed—a tackle that has that mean streak in him. I saw some of the highlights—putting dudes on their back, finishing guys,” St. Brown said. “I feel like him and Penei (Sewell) are going to be a sick combo.”
Miller brings that nasty edge Detroit offensive lines are supposed to have. The kind of attitude that turns pass rushers into speed bumps and opens holes you could drive a Ford F-150 through.
Michigan Guys Keep Coming Home
St. Brown pointed out that Aidan Hutchinson has to be thrilled about getting two more Michigan guys in edge rusher Derrick Moore and linebacker Jimmy Rolder. Nothing like having your college teammates show up in Honolulu Blue to make Allen Park feel like home.
The star receiver also made it clear he’s been waiting forever for the Lions to draft a USC guy, referring to his alma mater. Fair point, Trojan. Maybe next time Holmes will throw you that bone.
But he’s excited about meeting Kendrick Law from Kentucky, the newest addition to the receiving corps. “He looks like he plays hard. Jahmyr (Gibbs) said he was with him at Alabama for a very short stint. Excited to see him,” St. Brown said.
When your Pro Bowl receiver is pumping up the draft picks, that’s usually a good sign. When Jahmyr Gibbs is vouching for a guy’s work ethic from their Alabama days, that’s an even better one.
Looking Ahead Already
Because it’s never too early to torture ourselves with mock drafts, The Athletic already has a 2027 mock draft. And they’re mocking USC quarterback Jayden Maiava to the Lions, which is kind of perfect given St. Brown’s comments about wanting more Trojans in Detroit.
Holmes sat down with FOX 2’s Dan Miller for an eight-minute breakdown of the draft, and Hutchinson is staying busy with his golf apparel line while setting expectations for the upcoming season. The man is also a finalist for the 2026 PFWA George Halas Award for overcoming adversity, which feels right for someone who battled back from injury to become one of the league’s best pass rushers.
Meanwhile, Lions Loyal Members got the full draft party treatment at Ford Field, because this organization actually knows how to treat its fans now. What a concept.
St. Brown’s excitement about this draft class should tell you everything you need to know. When your best players are pumping up the new guys before they even step foot in the building, Holmes did his job. Again. So what’s your take on this draft haul—are we looking at another Holmes home run or just getting our hopes up again?
When your best receiver is going on his podcast to hype up the new guys, that tells you everything you need to know about how Holmes operates. This is exactly the kind of culture we’ve been waiting for. Can’t wait to see Blake Miller and Penei Sewell working together on that line.
Look, I’m glad Amon-Ra is happy and all, but let’s pump the brakes just a little bit here. We still gotta see these guys actually play before we’re calling it a masterpiece. Holmes has done good work but I need to see this on the field first before I’m throwing parades.
Man, it’s wild that we’ve actually got Michigan guys coming home and our own players are excited about the draft class instead of just accepting what they get. This organization actually feels different now, and that’s something I never thought I’d be able to say. The way Holmes and Campbell have turned things around is something else.
Blake Miller with that nasty streak is exactly what I wanted to hear about. Amon-Ra breaking it down on his podcast shows these guys are invested in each other’s success. This draft class might actually be special if they all buy in like this.