Brad Holmes Almost Made a Much Bigger Move
The Detroit Lions traded up in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft to grab Michigan edge defender Derrick Moore, moving from pick 50 to 44 and giving up their second fourth-rounder (pick 128) to get there. Fair value. Smart move. The kind of calculated aggression we’ve come to expect from Brad Holmes.
But here’s the thing. Holmes apparently had bigger plans.
The New York Giants dropped their behind-the-scenes draft video this week, and it caught something interesting. With the 37th overall pick on the clock, Giants GM Joe Schoen is fielding multiple trade-down calls. Then he announces to his war room: “118, 128, and 157?”
Those numbers? Detroit’s two fourth-round picks and their first fifth-rounder.
Holmes Wanted Moore Bad
If you add Detroit’s second-round pick to that package, Holmes was apparently willing to trade up 13 spots instead of the six he eventually moved. That’s a hell of a lot more draft capital for the same player.
And it makes sense when you hear Holmes explain his thinking after Day 2. Moore was his highest-graded defensive end available when Round 2 started. “Derrick might have been our No. 3 or No. 4 edge rusher, whatever it is, but today, he was our No. 1 for what was available,” Holmes said.
Translation: Holmes knew other teams might not value Moore the same way. But he wasn’t taking chances.
The Giants Said No, Detroit Won
New York ultimately kept their pick because Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood was still on the board and they wanted him. But if Hood had gone earlier, we might be talking about a completely different Lions draft class right now.
Instead of getting Moore plus Michigan linebacker Jimmy Rolder and Arizona State cornerback Keith Abney, Detroit would have just gotten Moore. That’s it.
Holmes still got his guy seven picks later with a much smaller investment. Sometimes the best trades are the ones that don’t happen.
You can see the whole interaction in the first two minutes of the Giants’ draft video. It’s a fascinating glimpse into how close we came to a very different outcome.
Was Holmes right to go big for Moore or did he dodge a bullet when the Giants said no? Let me know what you think below.
This is exactly why I trust Brad Holmes. He saw what he wanted and was willing to go get it, but he also stayed disciplined when it didn’t work out. Getting Moore plus two other solid pieces is way better than burning all that capital for just one guy. That’s the kind of smart aggression that wins.
Look I’m glad we didn’t give up all that for Moore, but it also shows Brad was willing to get reckless if things had gone differently. The fact that the Giants saying no literally saved us from a bad trade is kind of concerning. We need him making those calls, not hoping other teams bail him out.
Man, this is the kind of front office we haven’t seen in forever. Holmes wanted a guy and had a plan, the plan didn’t work out exactly, but he still got his guy without overpaying. That’s how you build a roster the right way. Years ago we would’ve done something stupid.
Trading six spots for Moore is solid, but yeah that original ask to the Giants would’ve been rough. Good thing Joe Schoen wanted Hood more. Brad’s got great instincts but sometimes he gets tunnel vision on a player, so having other GMs keep him honest actually helps us.