If one were to look at the many mock drafts being released ahead of next Thursday’s start to the actual draft, it would be fair to assume that the Lions are on track to add an edge rusher to their roster with the 28th overall pick.
They released Za’Darius Smith and have not signed any free agents at the spot while also talking about playing Josh Paschal on the interior more often during the 2025 season. That’s left many to predict that they’ll pluck a rookie to bolster the group as soon as possible, but General Manager Brad Holmes offered some caution when he spoke to reporters at a press conference on Wednesday.
Holmes said draft picks should be viewed as “future investments” rather than players who are going to be relied on for major impact right off the bat.
“I think you can get in trouble chasing needs sometimes, and then you’re depending on a rookie,” Holmes said, via the team’s website. “You do the best you can, but nobody has a crystal ball. So, it can be a tough world to live in.”
Holmes’s approach to roster building has taken the Lions from the basement to contender status in the NFC and that history buys a lot of room to veer off the expected course when the team is on the clock in the draft.