Brad Holmes Sticks to Best Player Available Philosophy Heading Into NFL Draft

Detroit Lions General Manager Brad Holmes addressed the media this week ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, and the message on his draft philosophy was clear: do not reach for a player because of a current roster gap.

Speaking on the approach of balancing best player available against positional need, Holmes acknowledged that chasing a specific position can lead teams into trouble. The instinct to fill a perceived hole, he explained, can cloud judgment on a player's actual value.

The Lions have lived through exactly the kind of volatility Holmes warned about. Prior to the 2025 season, Detroit appeared set at safety for years to come with two high-impact players at the position. By the time the draft arrived, both were dealing with significant injuries — Kerby Joseph with a knee issue and Brian Branch having suffered an Achilles tear. What once looked like a position of strength became one of urgency overnight.

Holmes pointed to last year's trade activity as a window into how he operates under uncertainty. Rather than addressing the safety position when it became necessary, the Lions instead traded both of their third-round picks to move up and select wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa — adding to a receiver room already featuring two established stars. The move drew scepticism at the time. Given how the safety situation has since unfolded, the decision looks considerably different in hindsight, though Holmes was careful to frame it as sticking to his evaluation process rather than reacting to circumstance.

The broader principle at play is straightforward: you never truly know when injuries will reshape your roster. A position that looks deep and settled in April can become a vulnerability by September. Holmes's answer is to take the player the organization believes in most, regardless of where he lines up on the depth chart.

For a Lions franchise that has spent years building toward sustained contention, the discipline to resist short-term roster management in the draft room is part of the foundation. Holmes will pick at multiple spots over the course of the draft later this month, and if his stated approach holds, Detroit fans should expect the best player on the board — not necessarily the one who fills the most obvious hole.