CLEVELAND – Their offensive line is set, but don’t tell that to Brad Holmes.
After taking Penei Sewell with the No. 7 overall pick Thursday, the Detroit Lions have six starting-caliber linemen to build a wall in front of quarterback Jared Goff.
They need more weapons for their offense, and they need help all over their defense, but Holmes said he won’t be a prisoner to taking certain positions when Day 2 of the NFL draft kicks off Friday night.
“You guys probably say, ‘Well, that’s GM speak.’ No, it’s really, we’re not going to anchor ourselves or pigeon-hole ourselves into, ‘we got to get this position or that position,’ ” Holmes said. “Hey, look, if it’s another offensive lineman that’s a high-impact player, then it’s another offensive lineman. If it’s a defensive back, it’s a defensive back. So whoever’s the best football player for us to make sure that we can get the most competitive team as we can through our efforts, then that’s where we’re going to go.”
The Lions have five picks left in the final six rounds, including three today: No. 41 overall in Round 2 and Nos. 72 and 102 in Round 3.
ALL THE PICKS: Thursday’s Round 1 recap
CARLOS MONARREZ: Passing on DeVonta Smith, Patrick Surtain II may prove costly
IN HIS OWN WORDS: Penei Sewell ‘ready to run through anybody’
Here are 15 players who should interest the Lions with today’s picks:
LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame
A popular first-round pick in mock drafts, Owusu-Koramoah may be the top player remaining regardless of position. He’s undersized at 221 pounds, but is the best coverage linebacker in the draft.
LB Azeez Ojulari, Georgia
If the Lions are looking for a edge linebacker, Ojulari would be a nice addition. He had 9.5 sacks and four forced fumbles last year.
WR Elijah Moore, Ole Miss
The Lions badly need help at receiver and Moore is the best one left. He earned All-American honors in 2020 after finishing second in the SEC with 1,193 yards receiving.
WR Rondale Moore, Purdue
The other Moore’s production waned after his huge 114-catch freshman season. He battled injuries in 2019-20, but is a lightning bolt with the ball.
WR Tutu Atwell, Louisville
Another diminutive slot receiver who would fill a need. He averaged 16.6 yards per catch for his career and might be available if the Lions want to wait on the position until Round 3.
WR Terrace Marshall, LSU
In contrast to most of the other receivers on this list, Marshall is a big, strong outside target. He led the Tigers with 48 catches and 10 touchdowns last season as LSU’s No. 1 receiver after Ja’Marr Chase opted out of the season.
WR Anthony Schwartz, Auburn
The Lions have added a ton of speed to their receiving corps this offseason, and Schwartz has that in spades. He set a youth world record in the 100-meter dash in 2017 and reportedly ran a 4.26-second 40 at his pro day.
LB Jabril Cox, LSU
Receiver isn’t the only place the Lions want to add speed. Cox is one of the most athletic linebackers in the draft, and he excelled at LSU after transferring up from North Dakota State.
LB Nick Bolton, Missouri
Bolton lacks ideal size at 5-foot-11, but he’s a big-time hitter who had 198 tackles and two interceptions in his final two college seasons.
S Trevon Moehrig, TCU
Holmes praised the depth of the safety class earlier this spring, and no players at the position have come off the board. Moehrig won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back last season.
S Jevon Holland, Oregon
The Lions wouldn’t go back-to-back Oregon products, would they? Holland is a ballhawk who had nine interceptions his first two seasons but opted out of 2020.
CB Asante Samuel Jr., Florida State
Samuel might be a slot-only cornerback in the NFL because of his size. His father, Asante Samuel Sr., was a four-time Pro Bowler with the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles.
CB Tyson Campbell, Georgia
Campbell played high school football with top-10 pick Patrick Surtain II. He has good size, at 6-1, and ran two sub-4.4 40-yard dashes, but is raw as a player.
DE Carlos Basham Jr., Wake Forest
Basham had 10 sacks and 18 tackles for loss in 2019 but was limited to just six games (five sacks) last season. He had a strong Senior Bowl and will be one of the first edge rushers off the board Friday.
DT Christian Barmore, Alabama
Off-field concerns pushed Barmore down to Day 2, but he is the best interior lineman in the draft. He had eight sacks last season to help Alabama’s national title run.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.