The second draft cycle for the Detroit Lions regime helmed by GM Brad Holmes closed last week. An impressive draft class that featured two top-12 overall picks highlights the Lions haul from the 2022 NFL draft weekend.
What did the second draft class of the Holmes/Dan Campbell era tell us about the Lions and the men making the decisions?
Consider this an extrapolation of the historical drafting profiles of the men in the front office from before last year’s draft. Through the first two drafts, the early reads on GM Brad Holmes, Assistant GM Ray Agnew, senior advisor John Dorsey and the Lions front office have proven pretty darn prescient.
They wanted Aidan Hutchinson all along
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
When the Lions sent the card in to draft Michigan EDGE Aidan Hutchinson before NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was even done announcing Travon Walker as the first pick, it was plainly obvious what many had suspected all along: the Lions really coveted Hutchinson.
Hutchinson’s fantastic athleticism, consistent production and positional flexibility made him a perfect fit for what head coach Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn wanted with their top choice. There might have been players the Lions evaluated on the same line of the draft board, but Hutchinson was clearly the preferred option.
This regime values leadership
Rob Schumacher-Arizona Republic
The Lions selected eight players. Six of them were team captains in 2021. The two who weren’t — Jameson Williams and James Houston — were transfer student-athletes who made big splashes in their new ponds.
Coach Campbell talks all the time about finding players who are great off the field as well as on it. Consider it an extension of his famous “no turds” policy. In the case of late-round picks Malcolm Rodriguez and Chase Lucas, they earned the captaincy multiple seasons in college despite not always being the most…