The Detroit Lions’ defense has faced considerable criticism because the pass-rush and sack numbers have not met expectations in recent seasons.
Aidan Hutchinson has become one of the leading young defensive ends in the National Football League, yet the Lions have faced challenges in securing a reliable partner for him at the other defensive end spot.
Last season, the Lions’ defense faced a surge of injuries that significantly drained their depth. Consequently, the production of the pass rush declined. Currently, numerous experts thought that the defense would gain the most by selecting one of the leading edge rushers in this year’s draft.
Nonetheless, Holmes did not select a player for that position until the sixth round. He frequently discusses the challenge of obtaining a player at one of the top positions in the sport and has mentioned that there are limited elite choices. Consequently, this makes it challenging to add one.
Since the Lions possess one of the limited elite choices in Hutchinson, he believes the fan base is frustrated due to the absence of a second player to complement him.
“They’re difficult to locate, they’re tough to obtain, they’re challenging to acquire,” Holmes stated while appearing on 97.1 The Ticket. “However, I have sensed that ever since we brought in Aidan Hutchinson, as talented as he is, I’ve always felt that the fan base seems somewhat upset.” They’re upset because we have Aidan Hutchinson. Since he is so skilled now, why not have a pair of them?
Holmes has gotten numerous inquiries regarding the condition of the team’s pass-rush and candidly acknowledged the challenge of locating two top-tier options to combine. The Lions maintain a comprehensive player evaluation process, resulting in elevated expectations for the players they choose to acquire.
I have been wondering about the teams that possess five or six top-tier edge rushers in different media markets; I’m quite curious. “Alright, we possess a top-tier edge rusher; all we’ll inquire about is edge rusher.” “You are aware of who those players are,” Holmes clarified. “When visiting those cities and media markets, all you hear are inquiries about edge rushers. You possess an elite one, yet the questions persist, ‘Why don’t you have another?’ ” Are you attempting to create a football team now? Or are you simply attempting to connect the ends? I’ve mentioned repeatedly that we would prefer to have three or four of them, but that’s not always the case.
Ultimately, the Lions did bring in a new player to the squad in Boise State’s Ahmed Hassanein. A prominent role in the Mountain West Conference, adjusting to the increase in competition will greatly affect how quickly he can support the defense.
Rather than taking a chance on players such as Mike Green or Donovan Ezeiruaku, both accessible during Detroit’s initial selection, the Lions concentrated on other positions before securing their defensive end later in the draft.
This decision-making process ultimately relied on Detroit’s trust in its approach, which involves thorough evaluations of performance, capability, and alignment with both the system and the standards the team has set.
“You can simply select an edge rusher; that’s simple.” We could accomplish that in every round; we could select one. Now, is he suitable? Does he meet the criteria we seek in a player? “That’s entirely another matter,” Holmes clarified. “If you select an edge rusher who isn’t performing as well as we hope, then what comes next?” Oh, look for another edge rusher since that one didn’t meet the standards. We prepared one, didn’t we? “I believed that was everything required, just to draft one?”
Challenges in advancing trades
Holmes acknowledged in the draft that the team had tried to advance in the selection order, and he reiterated this while talking with hosts Jon Jansen and Jim Costa. However, given that the Lions are selecting in the later sections of the first three rounds, it was challenging to persuade teams to drop that far back.
Consequently, the team’s trades to acquire Tate Ratledge and Isaac TeSlaa were successful outcomes of numerous efforts to advance in the draft order.
“Holmes stated that those were two completed from approximately 30 tries.” “Those were simply the two that we managed to accomplish.” However, there are numerous attempts, and it can be difficult to locate a partner since teams often hesitate to go that deep. The deeper you go, the talent pool and the quality on that particular team’s board will also decline. “Therefore, you need to find peace with that.”
Holmes acknowledges the fans’ disappointment with the lack of output in that area last season, attributing it mainly to injuries. Hutchinson participated in five matches, whereas Marcus Davenport took part in just two.
Detroit is optimistic for improved fortune in that area in 2025, believing that good health can be crucial for realizing its existing potential.
“However, if the player isn’t producing, or if the player isn’t in the starting lineup, he becomes a backup — you understand what I mean?” “You need to investigate all of those matters,” Holmes remarked. “I see that you desire increased production.” If you include 2024, when we experienced numerous injuries at that single position along with other areas, I can comprehend that given the bias of recent events. However, we possess an elite version, and that’s the only one that I somewhat find confusing. We possess a top-tier player, yet the only inquiries we receive pertain to edge rusher.
Sports talk host Mike Valenti stated Monday afternoon that Holmes’ draft will lead to one of two outcomes. The team will either fulfill his investments and thrive, or Holmes will keep facing criticism for his methods and tactics during the draft.
“I realize they didn’t secure the advantage that many of you demanded, but I’ve lost my anger since it’s not my responsibility at stake,” Valenti stated. “Brad Holmes will either prove to be correct with solid evidence and lead us to a Super Bowl, showing it all paid off, or they’ll be eliminated once more, prompting inquiries about why he constantly avoids making serious investments in edge rushers.” “Those are truly the sole two possibilities.”