Lions Draft Trends: How Detroit Has Attacked NFL Combine

The Detroit Lions will be a team to monitor at this year's NFL Scouting Combine.

One of the biggest events on the NFL's offseason calendar, the Combine begins Sunday and runs through March 2, with plenty of intrigue surrounding the event. The headlining part will be the on-field drills, where the top prospects in this year's Draft will participate in workouts designed to showcase their athleticism and ability in what is essentially a job interview.

While the testing will certainly be the main focus, there will be plenty going on surrounding the event that could shape each NFL team's offseason. Teams will be permitted to have interviews with prospects in an effort to evaluate them and their potential fit with the team.

The Lions will be intriguing for multiple reasons. For starters, the media will get to speak with offensive coordinator Drew Petzing for the first time amidst their allotted media availabilities. Also expected to speak are general manager Brad Holmes, head coach Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard.

How the team approaches the Combine has remained the same by and large for the duration of Holmes' and Campbell's five years working together. The team has trusted its thorough evaluations of players when it comes to the draft, which somewhat alters how it approaches the testing that the Combine offers.

Detroit evaluates whether or not prospects fit their team's culture, which has grown stronger as their drafted players have grown into leadership roles. Members of their first draft class such as Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell have become elder statesmen entering their sixth season, and are now tone setters for the organization both on and off the field.

As a result, expect the Lions to utilize plenty of their allotted interview slots to evaluate how players fit what they're looking for. These interviews are pretty throrough based on the snippets that have been revealed through the team's 'Inside The Den' documentaries showcasing their pre-draft process over the years.

When it comes to the testing itself, Holmes has spoken openly about the trust that the team has in their scouting staff. Detroit takes pride in the work that its scouts put into evaluating the available prospects, and as such treats the Scouting Combine more as a confirmation of their evaluations.

First and foremost, the Lions trust the tape of a player and look to evaluate how they perform in game situations. As a former scout, Holmes has frequently been noted to evaluate players in person at games, and has a history of targeting players from schools such as Alabama, Iowa and other Power Four teams with rich tradition.

Expect the Lions to do their due dilligence when it comes to players at all positions, as they don't tend to skew towards certain spots at the Combine. This carries over to the draft, where Holmes has scorned the idea of positional value and instead prioritized fit and talent regardless of need or position.

If previous years are any indication, the Lions will certainly be looking around across the board and have an open mind when the Combine begins.