Next Gen Stats: Detroit Lions Had Best All-Around Draft Class
The Detroit Lions had the best overall draft class, according to Next Gen Stats.
Of the six prospects general manager Brad Holmes drafted which received scores from the Next Gen Stats draft model, only one player had an overall score less than 80.
According to the league's website, the Next Gen Stats model "uses a decision-tree-based algorithm to predict the likelihood that the player will become an NFL starter or Pro Bowler within the first three seasons of his career. The models are trained on historical data from the NFL combine (since 2003) and on-field college statistics (since 2005), with rigorous feature selection techniques applied to each position-specific model. The resulting probabilities are converted into composite scores for each player -- representing athleticism, production, size and final overall score -- driven by the key traits that best predict NFL success."
Following the conclusion of the draft, Detroit's third-year general manager expressed that the team added players who have the capability of helping the team win games.
"Thrilled with how the weekend went. Every single pick we’re excited about. Whenever you acquire a player, you never want to feel warm or feel unexcited after you pick him," said Holmes. "That’s the reason why you go through those moments where the heart rate might rise a little bit to see if your player’s there or not, all the way down to the seventh round. So, we’re really excited.
"At the end of the day, we acquire these players for a lot of different reasons. But, ultimately, what are we trying to accomplish? We’re trying to win games. That’s why we acquire these players. I know a lot will be said about, ‘You acquired a running back in the first round.’ We didn’t acquire a running back in the first round. We acquired an elite weapon to keep our offense explosive in the first round. We didn’t acquire an inside linebacker in the first round. We acquired a legit anchor to elevate our defense in the first round. That’s what the ultimate goal is, and that’s what our vision is. We couldn’t be more excited with how the weekend went.”
Just how well did Holmes do, according to the Next Gen Stats model?
Detroit's 2023 draft class is the first since 2003 to have its first five picks earn at least an 80 NGS overall draft score, which is "a threshold that represents the top 15% of historical prospects within their respective positions."
In a couple of weeks, Detroit's rookies will have their first opportunity to showcase their skills, with rookie minicamp being just around the corner.
