NFL Analyst: Brad Holmes Has Done 'Virtually No Wrong'

Brad Holmes is among the best general managers in the National Football League.

Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes is starting to earn a strong reputation among his colleagues and among NFL pundits. 

In a recent power ranking of league general managers, Detroit's third-year front office executive made his way into the top 10, securing a spot at No. 7, even ahead of John Schneider of the Seattle Seahawks. 

"General managers sometimes peak in popularity a few years into a major rebuild. The hard part is keeping it going like Brandon Beane in Buffalo, rather than peaking too early like Steve Keim in Arizona, Dave Gettleman in Carolina or Ryan Pace in Chicago. (All Executives of the Year!) Holmes has done virtually no wrong since arriving," writes Gregg Rosenthal. "He preceded Dan Campbell by a week and pivoted from the Matthew Stafford era with a home run trade that helped quickly build a roster spawning the most unbridled Lions enthusiasm in memory."

After the team struggled mightily on defense last season, Holmes and Co. decided to completely retool the secondary. 

Adding C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Emmanuel Moseley and Cam Sutton has drastically upgraded a secondary that was torched often last year. 

Safety Kerby Joseph has emerged into a productive NFL player early in his career. 

Oftentimes, the Lions have waited far too long to move on from a player that clearly has no future with the organization. 

Moving on from Jeff Okudah in the manner Holmes addressed an obviously challenging situation raised his profile among supporters in Motown. 

Holmes has also been credited with having two really successful drafts. As a result, the team is setup for success well beyond the upcoming 2023 season. 

"Getting to use the Rams' No. 6 overall draft pick feels like a pivot point, the chance to go from fun story to real contender," Rosenthal explained. "After two top-shelf drafts and a smart free agency haul that focused on improving the secondary, Holmes has more than earned the benefit of the ever-present doubt in Detroit."