Brad Holmes was given a blank slate when hired as Detroit Lions general manager in January, a canvas to create a team in the image he wants.
That is a big reason why I see this as a position-less draft for the Lions. Holmes does not have to draft to fill needs because he has too many. He can take the best player available, regardless of position, so long as he can see that player being a building block.
In my first mock draft in February, I gave the Lions quarterback Trey Lance from North Dakota State. I reasoned they needed a long-term solution at the most important position, and Lance was the high-upside prospect who, with the right supporting cast and developmental plan, could be a star.
I still believe in Lance and drafting quarterbacks high or largely not at all, but I’ve been swayed from thinking the Lions will take one at No. 7.
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One, or perhaps both, of Lance and Justin Fields should be available there, and that’s good news for Holmes, whose best business move remains a trade down.
In my second mock draft, I had the Lions taking Florida tight end Kyle Pitts, a pick that some see as a luxury selection because of the position he plays.
The closer we get to the draft, though, the more convinced I am Pitts won’t make it to seven. He is universally loved by NFL talent evaluators, seen as one of the two best non-quarterbacks available (along with LSU receiver Ja’Marr Chase) and a good bet to go early with three offensive skill position-needy teams picking directly in front of the Lions in the Atlanta Falcons, Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins.
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With Pitts and Chase off the board, quarterbacks out of the mix — the Lions seem willing to play this season out with Jared Goff and reassess the position in 2022 — and trades not an option in this mock, that left me with a dilemma like the one Holmes could be facing Thursday: Take the best offensive lineman in the draft, one of the remaining blue-chip receivers, DeVonta Smith or Jaylen Waddle, or chase help on defense, something there is no need to do.
Smith and/or Waddle will be in play for the Lions on draft day. Regardless of the value of receivers in today’s NFL as compared to other positions, Smith and Waddle are elite talents with game-changing ability, and both would aid the Lions in their evaluation of Goff.
I’d put the draft’s top two offensive linemen, Penei Sewell and Rashawn Slater, in the same category, and ultimately gave Sewell to the Lions in my latest mock because of positional value, the safety of drafting a big over a little, Sewell’s undeniable potential to be one of the best linemen in the NFL, and a bit of history.
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It is not indisputable building from the inside out is the way to go in the NFL, and power-wielding Lions executive Chris Spielman is among those who have migrated to thinking top teams today build outside first.
Historically, though, the best teams have well above average offensive lines, and offensive linemen are considered safe picks because of their ability to play multiple positions. Sewell, for instance, could start at right tackle for the Lions, move to left tackle down the road, or slide inside to guard if he can’t handle the rigors of blocking on the edge.
There is a long history of first-year GMs taking offensive linemen, too. Matt Millen took Jeff Backus with his first draft pick. Bob Quinn spent his first pick on Taylor Decker. And while failed Lions GMs are hardly a litmus test for successful front executives, new Lions executive John Dorsey took tackle Eric Fisher with his first pick as GM and Holmes’ mentor, Les Snead, started his career as Rams GM by taking a lineman on the defensive side of the ball, new Lions addition Michael Brockers.
More important than making the safe choice is making the right one, and Sewell is the right pick for Detroit because of his enormous upside and his ability to help the Lions build one of the baddest offensive lines in the NFL.
Decker is a top-tier left tackle. Frank Ragnow is among the handful of best centers in the game. And Jonah Jackson looks like a long-term starter at guard after his promising rookie season.
Having elite players and elite units are a good recipe for success in the NFL, and with Sewell the Lions might get one in the same.
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Critics will note Sewell’s limited body of work after opting out of the 2020 season, and say he needs to mature more on and off the field. They are right in both regards.
But Sewell dominated the Pac-12 for most of his two seasons, when he played the bulk of those games as a 17- and 18-year-old, and he would be joining an experienced, talented unit in Detroit.
Yes, Sewell is far from a finished product, and, yes, Slater has a higher floor. But if the Lions are sitting at No. 7 on draft day and Sewell is on the board, Holmes can call his pick in and know he has the start of a beautiful picture.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.