Brad Holmes Named PFWA's Executive of the Year
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes has been named the 2023 NFL Executive of the Year by the Pro Football Writers Association.
The third-year GM has been instrumental in the Lions' turnaround. He arrived in Detroit along with head coach Dan Campbell prior to the 2021 season.
After a 3-13-1 finish to their first campaign together, Holmes has orchestrated a turnaround that has the team in the NFC Championship Game just two seasons later.
Detroit finished the regular season 12-5, and has won two playoff games in the same season for the first time. The organization has snapped two long droughts by winning its first division title since 1993 and its first playoff game since the 1991 season.
One of his first big moves as GM came when he traded franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Rams in exchange for Jared Goff and a plethora of draft picks.
Holmes has quickly established himself as a draft expert, landing a number of talented and foundational players over the last three seasons. In addition to taking key players in early rounds, he has landed several key pieces for the organization in the middle rounds.
In particular, Holmes selected key defensive contributors Alim McNeill and Ifeatu Melifonwu in the third round of the 2021 draft. That same year, he picked Amon-Ra St. Brown and Derrick Barnes with back-to-back picks.
This season, each of his first four draft selections emerged as starters. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta are both finalists for Offensive Rookie of the Year, while Jack Campbell and Brian Branch are integral parts of the defense.
"The process that we go through is so thorough," said Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. "He spearheads the whole thing obviously, and it's a collaborative process, where we get feedback early in the offseason about the roster and the coaching staff gets to speak up about where we're at, strengths and weaknesses and where we'd like to improve on."
"He hears everything, and looks to attack the issues at hand full-steam ahead. When it comes to the draft, him and the head coach, they are always very much on the same page," Johnson continued. "When you fall in love with a player both as a personnel staff and as a coaching staff, then I think what we've seen over the last three years is he's willing to go out and get those guys, no matter what the outside noise might say."
In 2022, he picked starting safety Kerby Joseph with a third-round pick and EDGE rusher James Houston with a sixth-round selection.
With a core that is largely made up of young, drafted players, the Lions have emerged as a legitimate title contender under Holmes' watch.
Prior to coming to Detroit, Holmes served as the director of college scouting for the Los Angeles Rams.
Four Lions nominated for awards
The Lions are well-represented amidst awards season. Gibbs and LaPorta have been nominated for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Additionally, Dan Campbell is a candidate for Coach of the Year, while Ben Johnson is a finalist for Assistant of the Year.
