Brad Holmes opens up on changing the Lions philosophy on drafting developmental projects

Roster cutdowns in Detroit this week forced the Lions to throw in the towel on two recent developmental draft picks. Two 2023 third-rounders, QB Hendon Hooker and DT Brodric Martin, are no longer Lions.

This Lions organization is one that prides itself on player development. The coaching staff features many former NFL players who are excellent at teaching, from OL coach Hank Fraley to DBs coach Deshea Townsend. Pulling the plug on two third-round picks after two years of unsuccessful development is a hit to that overall reputation.

Factor in the relative unreadiness of 2024 fourth-round pick (acquired with a 2025 third-rounder) Giovanni Manu as a reserve offensive lineman, and maybe it's time to rethink the Day 2 shots on prospects who are just as much lottery tickets as they are NFL talents.

That very question was posed to Lions GM Brad Holmes and assistant GM Ray Agnew during their press conference on Thursday. It was a question that made the two longtime colleagues smile at one another.

"That’s something that we talked about," Holmes said, referencing himself and Agnew. "It’s not that we won’t go for that anymore, I think everyone is case-by-case so it’s not just, ‘Oh, every developmental prospect is in a vacuum.’ But it’s just, I think where we’re at as a roster right now, you’re just more cognizant of it. I think there’s times and windows to strike here and there, but you’re just more aware of it as opposed to when we first started. We just had a lot more room for those guys and had a lot more time. So, I would never say that we would not take a developmental player, but it’s just got to be the right situation.”

Later in the press conference, Holmes brought up a first-round developmental player, Jameson Williams, who has worked out well for Detroit. Holmes noted that Williams was coming off a torn ACL, too. In an unrelated answer, Holmes also pointed out the early success of rookie WR Isaac TeSlaa, a third-round pick who many considered a developmental project, too.

The truth is, the Lions have hit on several developmental players. Penei Sewell was plainly obvious as a gifted athlete with sky-high potential coming out of Oregon, but he was far from a complete product after largely getting by in college on just being bigger and stronger than anyone facing him in his 20 college games. Kerby Joseph started at safety at Illinois for just one year before exploding into one of the most impactful defenders in the NFL, and that did take some developmental time.

Beyond the draft, kicker Jake Bates never made a college field goal. D-II collegians like Trevor Nowaske and Craig Reynolds have become valuable reserves.

The mixed bag of success validates Holmes' point that each player is his own individual case. Even so, the realization from Holmes that this current Lions team isn't nearly as conducive to using roster spots on developmental players is a welcome one.

This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Brad Holmes on changing Lions philosophy on drafting project prospects