The Draft Picks That Got Away
Performance in the NFL Draft isn’t always about who you take. Sometimes it’s about who you don’t.
You want a painful example? Eric Ebron was fine for us. Not great, but fine. Problem is, the next three picks after Ebron were Taylor Lewan, Odell Beckham Jr., and Aaron Donald. That’s how an okay pick becomes a haunting one.
So here we are, playing Monday morning quarterback with Brad Holmes and the Lions’ 2026 draft class. And yes, I know what you’re thinking — Holmes has earned more trust than any general manager in franchise history. But even the best make choices you can second-guess.
The Moves Our Staff Wanted
Al Karsten wanted the Lions to stay put at pick 50 instead of trading up for Derrick Moore. His logic? Preserve Day 3 capital and take whichever edge rusher was still there — Moore, Gabe Jacas, or Zion Young. Fair point. He also liked Iowa’s Max Llewellyn in the seventh round for pure pass rush juice.
Erik Schlitt and Ryan Mathews both wanted nickelback Keionte Scott. Tampa Bay grabbed him at 116, two picks before the Lions took Jimmy Rolder at 118. Scott could’ve been had at 50, or Holmes could’ve moved up slightly in the fourth round from 118 to around 115. With safety depth questions, this one stings a little.
John Whiticar wanted linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, who went one pick before Detroit at 43. Rodriguez had the coverage skills to replace Alex Anzalone. Instead we got Rolder, who’s more of a thumper than a coverage guy. Sometimes the board just doesn’t fall your way.
Brandon Knapp pushed for tight end Hayden Large, especially with Sam LaPorta’s future uncertain. Jeremy Reisman preferred Kyle Louis over Rolder at linebacker — Louis went 20 picks after Rolder — citing Louis’s coverage ability and football IQ.
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The Reality Check
Here’s the thing about these alternate reality drafts. Our staff’s picks from last year included Derrick Harmon (27 tackles, 3.0 sacks), Elic Ayomanor (515 catches, 4 TDs), Josaiah Stewart (22 tackles, 3.0 sacks), J.T. Tuimoloau (0 starts, 17 tackles, no sacks), and Fadil Diggs (0 tackles, 5 games played). Meanwhile, Holmes keeps hitting on picks that actually matter.
Does that mean every Lions pick was perfect? Hell no. But when you’ve watched this franchise draft Isaiah Stewart over Aaron Donald, you learn to appreciate a GM who generally knows what he’s doing.
The Moore trade-up might’ve cost us some flexibility, but Holmes saw his guy and went to get him. That’s what good general managers do. The rest is just wishful thinking until these rookies actually hit the field.
Think Holmes whiffed on any of these picks or are we just being armchair GMs? Drop your take below and tell us which prospect you wish was wearing Honolulu Blue.
