Allen Park — Now that the mocks have been mocked and the smokescreens have cleared, we can make one indisputable observation about the Lions. It’s a trait many teams espouse, but few actually practice.
I’ll put it in football terms for you: The Lions ain’t scared.
They play that way under Dan Campbell, with more fourth-down gambles and fake punts than anybody in the league. On the franchise-building side, GM Brad Holmes shows it in the way he drafts, the way he trades and the players he signs.
Say whatever you wish about the Lions, and truthfully, too much probably has been said about their resurgence. They were only 9-8 and haven’t made the playoffs in six years. They’re bursting with ambition, but without the winning ammunition yet to fully back it up. According to the analysts, Holmes either just crafted the boldest, most unusual draft strategy in NFL history, or he blew it.
I think it was bold, but not for the sake of being bold. Each seemingly inexplicable move was fairly explicable. The Lions were NFC North favorites before this and nothing has changed, nor should it. ESPN’s Louis Riddick went further, reiterating he believes the Lions are going to the Super Bowl.
“I said during the combine, ‘What’s the goal of the offseason?’” Holmes said as the draft concluded Saturday. “I just said, ‘Look, we don’t want to take a step back. We don’t want to stay stagnant.’ We appreciate and are extremely proud of the success we had last year, but we didn’t make the playoffs and that’s not good enough.”
From this point forward, it’s win-now. The Lions aren’t interested in tamping down expectations, reflected in their drafting of immediate-impact players, as many as three starters. They wanted an upgrade at running back because they’re built to run behind a dominant offensive line. So, they drafted Alabama’s dynamic Jahmyr Gibbs and quickly traded D’Andre Swift, who was dynamic but not durable.
They wanted an upgrade at tight end because tight ends are underrated weapons in the run and pass game. So they drafted Iowa’s Sam LaPorta, who’s younger and cheaper than T.J. Hockenson, traded last season. They wanted an upgrade at linebacker because their defense was especially weak up the middle. So they took an old-school linebacker, Iowa’s Jack Campbell, higher than anyone expected at No. 18.
Holmes and Campbell don’t disguise their intentions. They want to be strong in the trenches so they can bludgeon with their running game and then pop passes to Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams (still the plan) and others. They’re playing to their strengths, pumping up an already-explosive offense that ranked fourth in the league, directed by an innovative whiz in Ben Johnson.
Would you have preferred more than three defensive players out of their eight picks? Sure. The defense is far from fixed, but should be much better. They did sign three free agents for their secondary, and Jack Campbell could be a plug-and-play anchor.
The encouragement comes from the collaborative plan. This is the most-cohesive front office-coaching situation we’ve seen with the Lions. Dan Campbell might be the most forthright head coach in the league. In a quieter, subtler way — not counting his draft-room table-pounding exuberance — Holmes is equally unambiguous. When everyone reads from the same playbook, there’s not much waffling or second-guessing. A GM always can pick the wrong player. He should never pick it for the wrong reason.
“We don’t draft scared,” Holmes said. “We don’t kind of play scared. The thing with Jahmyr Gibbs is, that’s the guy that we loved.”
The Lions have built a solid, young roster to the point they can start picking more precisely, and stocking depth. Holmes corrected a self-admitted mistake and finally addressed backup quarterback by taking Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker in the third round. Hooker actually was All-SEC first team, over Alabama’s Bryce Young, but tore up a knee Nov. 19. That caved his draft stock but made him ideal for the Lions, who eventually want someone to challenge Goff, but not quite yet.
Holmes has been upfront about his intentions with Goff, who has two years left on his contract. If the Lions are leery of paying a huge extension, well, Hooker could be their guy in a year. If the Lions feel compelled to pay Goff a huge extension, I assume that means he had a helluva season.
Best-case scenario, the “dilemma” doesn’t turn out to be much of a dilemma. Goff has no reason to feel pressured by an injured rookie backup, who should replace Nate Sudfeld when healthy. Goff likely prefers Hooker biding his time than a veteran such as Teddy Bridgewater sitting behind him.
Speaking of transparency, Holmes didn’t ignore the nagging knock on Hooker, that he’s already 25, not much younger than Goff’s 28. Holmes also didn’t really care. He doesn’t much care what the mocks or measurables say, and his confidence has grown after two previous stellar drafts.
“I never really thought about a possible quarterback controversy or anything like that,” Holmes said. “Hooker’s a rookie drafted in the third round. We didn’t draft him sixth overall or anything like that. We like his developmental traits.”
There were two major mistakes Holmes avoided, moves that would’ve defied what the Lions believe in, and how much they believe in Goff. He didn’t draft Georgia’s polarizing Jalen Carter at No. 6, and he didn’t reach for a quarterback in the first round. But, he sure didn’t sit still.
The Lions’ three-day draft party began with a trade, as it often does under Holmes. He moved down from No. 6 to 12 and shocked the league by picking Gibbs, projected by many as a late first-rounder. Within minutes of the selection, the Lions were getting roasted. One national writer called it the “weirdest pick of the draft,” as running backs almost never are taken that high. The Lions view Gibbs in a broader way, as a speedy weapon who can do it all, leading Alabama in rushing yards and receptions.
Holmes made six trades to maneuver for eight total selections, aggressive to the point of exhaustion. While analysts dutifully tallied up their mocks and graded the Lions a C or lower, others touted the type of talent they landed. Next Gen Stats, which aggregates historical data to predict success rates of drafted players, declared the Lions had the best class in the league and one of the best since 2003. Honestly, it’s too geeky to explain further, but it’s worth noting.
The Lions’ most-underrated pick came in the second round, when they landed Alabama safety Brian Branch, considered a certain first-rounder and the last player left in the waiting room in Kansas City. Asked to describe himself, Branch summed up what virtually every Lions pick said.
“I feel like I have all the intangibles that Coach Dan wants,” Branch said. “That dog mentality, that’s what I got, and nobody can take that from me.”
The Lions have risen to respectability, but to keep climbing, they will have to take some risks. Holmes did it a year ago, trading up for Williams, who was coming off an injury and now is suspended six games for a gambling violation.
Holmes’ initial first-round choices — Penei Sewell and Aidan Hutchinson — were the safest, smartest choices possible, melding work ethic with uncommon talent. The Lions happily mine all of college football’s fertile grounds, including Alabama, Iowa, Western Kentucky (watch out for third-round defensive tackle Brodric Martin), and of course, William & Mary.
Hey, when you know what you’re looking for, it’s easier to look everywhere. A few picks made people nervous, and clearly, the Lions value certain positions more than others do. It might be hard for some to embrace, but upon closer inspection, it’s not hard to understand.
Twitter: bobwojnowski