10 Takeaways From Lions' 2025 Combine Media Sessions

The NFL Scouting Combine began on Tuesday from Indianapolis, with media sessions with all the league's general managers and head coaches.

Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes each had a lot to say. Meanwhile, new Detroit play-callers John Morton (offensive) and Kelvin Sheppard (defensive) also had a chance to talk to reporters.

Without further ado, here are 10 takeaways from the Lions’ media sessions Tuesday.

Brad Holmes high on draft class

The Detroit Lions will have seven total picks in this April's NFL Draft, and will make their first selection at No. 28 overall.

Holmes expressed Tuesday that it has a chance to be a deep draft class.

“I’ve always been kind of close to the vest about talking about strengths and weaknesses in a draft because it’s very subjective,” Holmes said. “Some people might think it’s strong. Some people might think, ‘No, it’s not as strong.’

“But this one here, me and (assistant general manager) Ray Agnew were just kind of looking at the totality of, ‘Yeah, it’s a lot deeper than what we can remember,’ at least in the past couple of years. That’s both inside and out, for sure.”

Dan Campbell, Aaron Glenn groomed Kelvin Sheppard for defensive coordinator role

Sheppard, a former NFL linebacker who played with the Lions in 2018, joined Dan Campbell's coaching staff in 2021 as the team's outside linebackers coach. He proceeded to spend the past three seasons coaching Detroit's entire linebacking unit.

Then this January, Sheppard was promoted to defensive coordinator, replacing Aaron Glenn, who departed to become the head coach of the N.Y. Jets.

"I've always believed Shep could be an outstanding coach," Campbell said. "About two years ago I just felt like, 'This guy is going to be ready to be a coordinator sooner rather than later.' So, AG (Aaron Glenn) and I talked about it, and tried to give him more responsibility over the last two years with that in mind for him ... without telling him and nothing was ever promised."

John Morton is like ‘kid in candy store’ with surplus of offensive weapons

Detroit is equipped with a plethora of offensive weapons. And Morton, a senior offensive assistant for the Lions in 2022, is well aware of it.

He's excited for the chance to coach the Lions’ high-powered offense, which finished No. 1 in points per game a season ago.

“I’m like a kid in the candy store. I mean, it’s Christmas all over again,” Morton told reporters Tuesday. “But, I love that part. I live for game-planning. I mean, I love all the way up to the game. I think that’s the chess match. When the game starts, it’s a chess match, okay, but you gotta talk about those different scenarios when the game starts. But game-planning, I just love that part. I mean, I’ll just stay all day, all night, and just — I’m always looking for that play to help us win the game.”

Sheppard overwhelmed by support from Lions locker room

Sheppard has received an overwhelming amount of support since being named defensive coordinator, including from several Lions players. It's meant a big amount to the first-year defensive play-caller.

“That means the most to me. I’m going to be honest, and it’s no slight to anybody else, but the players mean the most to me by far because that is who goes out and does it,” Sheppard expressed. “You could say what you want. We could have all these philosophies and narratives and all this, but it’s about them. And if you don’t have the belief in them, I don’t have anything, to be honest with you.

“And, the defensive guys — I’m really close to guys like (Aidan Hutchinson), (Alex Anzalone), (Malcolm Rodriguez) — so that kind of didn’t shock me that much. It was very appreciated.”

He also received an outpouring of support from multiple Detroit offensive players.

“Guys like Jared Goff, who I didn’t even have his cell phone number,” Sheppard said while laughing. “He texted me, he’s like, ‘Hey, this is JG.’ And I was like, ‘What up?’ And just his outpouring of happiness for me — telling me he thought I deserved it, he was excited — and I told him how excited I was to have him as the quarterback on the other side.

“(Amon-Ra) St. Brown, my guy (Jameson Williams), David Montgomery, (Jahmyr) Gibbs — when those guys see it from afar, it means a little different because they don’t get that close-up interaction with me, like the Hutches and Anzo.”

Campbell ready to square off with Ben Johnson

Ben Johnson was a part of Campbell's coaching staff for each of the head coach's first four seasons in Detroit. Johnson started off as the team's passing game coordinator and then served as offensive coordinator the past three seasons.

After being courted by several teams, the popular offensive play-caller reached a deal with the Chicago Bears to be their next head coach.

Johnson was a valued member of the Lions’ coaching staff, and Campbell will miss him. However, Campbell and Detroit won't hesitate to bring their “A-game” when facing Johnson and Chicago twice a season.

“That's the way this game works,” Campbell said Tuesday. “Somebody's going to be on our sideline, and somebody's going to be on the other and you play to win.”

Sheppard values versatility with personnel

Sheppard has been all about versatility with his linebackers room, and now wants to bring that element to the entire Lions’ defense. Yet, at the same time, he doesn't want to spread guys too thin.

“That's something I've learned,” Sheppard expressed Tuesday. “Cause you have a bunch of those guys, and then it's too many and you fall into deficiencies at certain spots. I have blind trust in Brad Holmes. He knows my vision. That's another thing.

"To have the GM walk into your office and ask, 'What's your vision? What do you want this to look like? I'm going to try to get the players per what you tell me.' Giving me an input on that stuff has been incredible. I tell everyone it's the best work environment I've ever been a part of or heard of.”

Holmes to draft based on ‘best’ player available, prioritizes trenches

Just like in his first four drafts as Lions GM, Holmes plans to draft based on “best player available” – instead of need – this April.

"We're not a needs-based drafting team,” Holmes told reporters Tuesday. "We just get the best football player for us. We don't really get too fixated on positions.”

The Lions, however, do have needs at numerous defensive positions, most notably at cornerback and along the defensive line.

And Holmes knows just how important it is to be strong in the trenches.

"I think I've made it pretty clear that the trenches are always gonna be a priority for us. I just think that's where the game is won,” Holmes conveyed. “Dan (Campbell) and I are aligned on that. You can never really have enough of those guys."

Morton shaped by Jon Gruden, Sean Payton

Morton has had the opportunity to learn under multiple Super Bowl-winning head coaches.

He spent 1998-2004 with Jon Gruden and the then-Oakland Raiders, and then another stint with Gruden and the Raiders from 2019-21.

“I've learned everything through him, and how to teach and how to put offense in,” Morton said of Gruden.

Additionally, he spent two stints with Sean Payton in New Orleans, first as the team's passing game coordinator in 2006 and then as the organization's wide receivers coach from 2015-16. Plus, he served as the passing game coordinator for Payton and the Denver Broncos during the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

“With Sean, I've learned the same type of things: communication, how to put a staff together, how to run the organization, that aspect of it,” Morton said of working under Payton.

Toughness will remain integral element of players added by Campbell, Detroit

Campbell and the Lions aren't going to start backing away from their gritty, relentless identity anytime soon.

Campbell emphasized Tuesday that Detroit will remain true to the principles that have made it a winning squad the past three seasons. And that means the organization will continue to target players via the draft that embody toughness and play a physical brand of football.

Campbell believes Tashard Choice will be great for running backs room

Choice, who starred at Georgia Tech as a player and then coached Yellowjacket running backs for three seasons, served as Jahmyr Gibbs’ running backs coach for two years.

During those two seasons, Gibbs amassed 1,206 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. He then transferred to Alabama for his final collegiate season.

Campbell believes Choice will be a valuable asset to Detroit’s running backs room.

"Two years ago, I know he was somebody that was on my radar, and it didn't work out and it was all good,” Campbell said of Choice Tuesday. “But, everything comes back around, and it just felt like this was right. I think he's really good at what he does. He's gifted. He's played the position. He's coached it in college. He understands our level of it. He understands (Jahmyr) Gibbs, he's coached him (at Georgia Tech), so that helps. I think he's going to be great for David Montgomery as well. That's big. I just think he's going to bring a lot to us.”