'These Players Fit Us': Detroit Lions Not Focused on Positional Value
Since 2018, the Detroit Lions have spent more draft capital on running backs than any other National Football League team.
Over the past week, since the conclusion of the NFL Draft, many pundits and supporters have debated the value of selecting a running back and linebacker in the first-round.
Draft analysts have been left scratching their heads and wondering why Lions general manager Brad Holmes would select running back Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12 over a wide receiver or a defensive lineman.
Many express wide receivers are much more important to offenses than are running backs.
The positional value of selecting a wideout early in the draft is much more acceptable to those who are rigid in their opinions of roster construction.
Holmes is not among those who are stringent in avoiding positions early in the draft. Repeatedly, Detroit's third-year general manager has expressed he and the personnel department are in search of players they love and who fit the established requirements
"Yeah, just like I told you guys in the past, they’re football players," said Holmes. "If you believe that they have an impact for you on the field, then you just go ahead and take them."
Detroit's coaching staff and front office felt that Gibbs fit their culture and would bring to their offense a level of explosiveness that is unmatched.
"It’s not just about, ‘Don’t pick a running back,’ because that’s not really how we view him," Holmes said. "Then it’s the same thing about, ‘Don’t pick an off-ball linebacker.’ That’s not really how we view Jack (Campbell). So, if you put them in boxes on a sheet of paper and you run mock draft analytics, yeah you can come up with the stats. But all the hours and research and all the time that we put in in terms of what we can get from these players, it becomes very visible what kind of impact that they can bring.
"If you look at the totality of the Draft, when we selected Jack, he was our highest-rated player that was left on the board. It was actually by a good margin," Holmes continued. "So, you can look at positions and all that kind of stuff, but especially in this Draft, if you try to get cute and say, ‘Oh, well let me get’ -- no, there is no whatever you would tab as a premium position. ‘Oh, you better get a pass rusher. Oh, you better get a tackle.’ No, that’s not what the case was. We had him as the highest-rated player and the same with Jahmyr. Jahmyr was the highest-rated player. So, we just take the best players for us."
Despite the heavy criticism, Detroit has been steadfast in doing their research and creating a cluster of players the organization is comfortable will step in and perform at a high level.
"I’ve always said that’s what we’re going to do, and we find players that fit us and what we’re about, what we’re about as a culture from a culture-standpoint, from a character-standpoint, from an intangible standpoint, from an intelligence standpoint," Holmes explained. "The talent is one thing, but these players fit us. That’s why we’re thrilled about them.”
