After looking at his best draft picks, time to look at the worst Detroit Lions picks under Brad Holmes.
On Saturday, we talked about the best Detroit Lions draft picks under general manager Brad Holmes. It was a difficult conversation to have, because there are so many great answers. I landed on Amon-Ra St. Brown based on talent and what round he was taken (fourth), but plenty of you made strong cases for Penei Sewell, Aidan Hutchinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Kerby Joseph, and Alim McNeill.
Today, we have another difficult decision, but for the opposite reason. Every general manager misses, but those misses have been elusive for Holmes. Of his 16 Day 1 or Day 2 picks, 15 remain on the team (Ifeatu Melifonwu is the lone “miss), five have already received extensions (with at least another two to join them shorty).
But Holmes has not been flawless. Nobody is. So today’s Question of the Day is:
What has been the worst Detroit Lions draft pick under Holmes?
My answer: If you’re going to complain about the Detroit Lions’ first two drafts, you’re going to be doing some nitpicking. Levi Onwuzurike probably didn’t deliver based on his draft position (41th overall), but with his injury fully behind him and a one-year extension, there is still some palpable hope. Josh Paschal has similarly under delivered as the 46th overall pick in 2022, but 2025 will be a big season for him—and with the way the Lions have not addressed the EDGE position this offseason, he could be in for a significant role.
The 2023 draft may go down as Holmes’ best for his first four picks, but it’s the next two picks that have received the most criticism: quarterback Hendon Hooker early in the third round and nose tackle Brodric Martin at the end of the same round. In my opinion, the criticism for the Hooker pick is a little exaggerated at this point. He missed most of his rookie season—as expected—due to injury. And while he didn’t look great for much of the preseason last year, he did eventually win the backup job. I’m aware it’s not great optics for the Lions to fall back on Teddy Bridgewater for the playoffs and sign Kyle Allen this offseason, but let’s give the man a second offseason program before we declare this a wasted pick.
It’s a bit harder to defend the Martin pick at this point. While the Lions have shown that Year 3 can be a huge developmental jump for players—and Martin was always expected to be a project—the Lions’ roster moves this offseason suggest they aren’t thrilled with his progress. With DJ Reader already on the roster, the Lions opted to invest a fairly significant amount in a backup nose tackle, signing Roy Lopez to a one-year, $3.5 million deal. At this point, Martin has to be considered on the outside of the roster bubble looking in, and if he doesn’t make the team in 2025, it’ll be the fewest contributions the Lions have gotten out of a Day 1 or Day 2 pick under Holmes. Martin has played in just 53 defensive snaps for his career.
Which draft pick do you think has been the worst under Holmes? Scroll down to the comment section and share your thoughts.
