Lions Should Have No Problem Drafting Mike Green, James Pearce

Lions have culture in place to target players with talent and some question marks.

Tennessee defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. (27) autographs items for children after a college football game | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions have a strong locker room that is led by veterans on both sides of the football.

Detroit's culture is strong enough and the leadership exhibited by the coaching staff should allow for supporters to be quite comfortable, if the decision is made to draft one of two talented edge rushers who have had issues away from the football field.

Defensive ends Mike Green and James Pearce have had to address a myriad of character concerns during their meetings with NFL teams. Both players were incredibly productive in college, but both have had their own respective issues to maneuver throughout the pre-draft process.

With a team led by head coach Dan Campbell, there have been off the field issues that have been handled swiftly and caused limited distractions.

Defensive backs Cam Sutton and Brandon Joseph were dismissed abruptly when significant off the field issues came to light.

One aspect that is underrated is the amount of resources the organization allocates for players to grow and develop as individuals.

Players have access to medical professionals and support staff who assist with their mental health and continued growth as human beings.

General manager Brad Holmes, speaking during his annual pre-draft media session, was asked about his approach to conducting background checks on prospects who may have red flags away from the football field.

“It’s a lot more in-depth and a lot harder than some people may think. I do think it’s case by case. In terms of character evaluation, I wish it were as easy as seeing a headline," Holmes said. "But there’s so much more depth and detail and research that’s involved. It’s literally, I tell our scouts, in terms of character, it’s year-round. It’s a house you have to build year-round and leads all the way up to the draft, really.

"I have always said it’s case-by-case. Everything you may read may not be what actually happened and that’s the actual details of it or whatever the case is," Holmes continued. "That’s just it. It’s case by case. It’s a lot of depth. It’s a lot of research. I don’t want to get into specifics too much in terms of our process. It goes so much further than what’s available in the news.”

Pearce, when addressing the recent discussion regarding his character at his Tennessee pro day workout, expressed, "I'm a great guy. I'm a great teammate, a great player. I'm a people person. I've got a good heart. I’ll just keep showing that I’m the best edge rusher and the best defender in this draft."

Green has categorically denied all of the allegations that were made against him and believes NFL teams will learn his character when they meet with him.

"As you can see, throughout this process I've been rising higher and higher and higher. That should tell you everything that you need to know," Green said. "I've been sticking to the process, like I said earlier, and I've been telling the truth. I have no concerns and I have no problem with talking to these teams about it because I know who I am and I know the truth."

Detroit's front office has a primary job of winning football games. But in the area of personal development, the team has also showcased an ability to provide opportunities for athletes to flourish away from the field and benefit from playing in the league.

Both Green and Pearce have as good a chance to flourish in Motown as any other prospect.