Since taking over in 2021, Brad Holmes, the general manager of the Detroit Lions, has garnered a lot of recognition for his prowess in the NFL Draft.
Through the Draft, the general manager was able to recruit numerous important players to his team, such as Penei Sewell, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Aidan Hutchinson. But he might have given his best effort in the 2023 Draft.
The “Best Draft Award” was given to Holmes and his team by InsideTheLeague on Friday, as determined by scouts from all around the league.
InsideTheLeague is a service designed to assist anyone involved in football by offering players, coaches, and executives access to scouting and other tools. At the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Holmes accepted the prize with a few of his scouts.
The first four players selected by the Lions all ended up having significant roles in their rookie seasons. Jahmyr Gibbs, a running back selected in the first round, finished with over 1,000 all-purpose yards and 10 rushing touchdowns, while Jack Campbell recorded 95 tackles and two sacks.
Regarding Detroit’s two second-round selections, Sam LaPorta and Brian Branch were both the team’s first-day starters. In his NFL debut, Branch recorded a game-changing pick-six that launched a strong rookie year.
On the other hand, LaPorta had an incredible rookie season, breaking the previous record for receptions by a rookie tight end and earning a spot on the second team of the All-Pro team.
He had an outstanding regular season, finishing with 86 receptions for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns.
In 2023, the Lions also selected Antoine Green, Brodric Martin, Colby Sorsdal, and Hendon Hooker in the draft. As healthy scratches, Martin and Green saw limited action, but Sorsdal started three games at guard in lieu of Jonah Jackson.
