Burning Question: Will GM Brad Holmes Make Draft Trades?

Will the Lions end up picking at No. 6 and No. 18 in the NFL Draft?

Brad Holmes wants to build a winner with the Detroit Lions.

Entering his third season as the team’s general manager, he has a chance to keep the team moving in the right direction. Holmes is armed with plenty of draft capital, including two first-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Currently, those spots are slated to be No. 6 and No. 18 overall. It’s similar to the slate that the Lions had last season, where Holmes and company entered the 2022 NFL Draft with the No. 2 and No. 32 overall picks.

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“It’s exciting to have the capital that we have,” Holmes said at his end-of-season press conference. “Obviously, made some moves, probably some that weren’t popular among people outside this building. But, just like I say all the time, we do every single thing for a reason. Every single thing is well thought out, every single thing is well planned.”

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In that instance, Holmes stood pat with the second selection, but swung big with the No. 32 overall pick, trading it to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for the No. 12 pick. He selected wide receiver Jameson Williams with the pick, signaling a desire to have the speedy receiver in offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s system.

With his previous decisions in mind, it’s worth pondering whether Holmes will be active on draft night in 2023. Both selections are in interesting places, meaning he certainly could strike a deal to alter Detroit’s draft placement.

Several teams outside the top five of the draft have needs at the quarterback position, which is widely considered to be the most desired spot on the field. With teams such as Las Vegas and Carolina drafting behind the Lions, Holmes could capitalize on the value and trade back from the sixth overall selection.

The Lions have their starting quarterback in place heading into 2023. Jared Goff was superb in the second half of the season, and demonstrated his ability to lead the Lions to wins over the season’s final 10 games.

Because Detroit is stable under center, Holmes and company could be more willing to listen to another franchise looking to move up and select a quarterback as its next leader.

Detroit's general manager has previously stated, though, that he won’t rule out selecting a quarterback, should the opportunity present itself. With his background in scouting, Holmes could still do his due diligence in evaluating some of the top signal-callers on the market.

“I think it’s a lot easier to get worse at quarterback than it is to get better at quarterback in this league,” Holmes said. “I think what Jared has done this year, he captained the ship of a top-three offense and I want to say he was top-10 statistically in most of the passing categories. We have to watch the draft, because we’re never going to turn down a good football player. So, if there’s a football player we really love, we’re gonna make sure no stone is unturned. But, I do think Jared has proven to everybody that he is the starting quarterback for us.”

While trading out of the No. 6 pick could be a likely option, don’t discount Holmes and the potential of moving up from either of his first-round picks.

The Lions could also elect to move from the 18th overall pick. Having the two first-rounders creates the opportunity for Holmes and company to do a plethora of things.

As evidenced by last year, Holmes won’t hesitate to move up to select a player he desires. He fell in love with Williams, despite an injury, and subsequently made the move to go get him.

In 2021, Holmes’ first draft as Lions GM, the Lions stood pat and got Penei Sewell seventh overall. That demonstrated his desire to be patient, which was ultimately rewarded as the Lions got the player they wanted.

With so much time remaining in the draft process, Holmes’ final decision remains to be seen. He has the capital to make moves, but it will still be some time before we see what he decides to do.