Ranking Brad Holmes' Detroit Lions First-Round Draft Picks

Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes is gearing up to run his sixth draft later this month.

Holmes has made seven first-round picks over the course of his tenure, with his eighth set to be the No. 17 overall selection this year. The Lions generally keep their cards close to the vest, so it remains to be seen whether or not the team will make any moves up or down the draft board.

To this point in his tenure, Holmes has been pretty solid when it comes to making selections, particularly in the first-round of the draft. Four of his first-round picks have earned Pro Bowl honors throughout his career.

Here is a ranking of the seven first-round picks the Lions have made with Holmes as GM since 2021.

7. CB Terrion Arnold

The Lions traded up to the 24th overall pick to select Arnold in the first-round of the 2024 NFL Draft. It's still early in his career, as he's entering his third season, but so far the returns have been disappointing for the young cornerback.

As a rookie in Detroit's man coverage-heavy scheme, Arnold was picked on quite a bit early. He was one of the most penalized players in the league with seven pass interference penalties and two defensive holding penalties in 16 games.

In his second season, Arnold was whistled for pass interference three times in eight games. There were some encouraging signs last season, such as his first interception and better performance in coverage, but injuries ultimately ended his season early.

This offseason has been somewhat of a turbulent one for the young cornerback, as he was referenced in a court order in Florida connected to an alleged armed robbery and kidnapping plot. However, Arnold has not been charged with a crime and by all indications remains innocent in the situation.

There's still time for Arnold to turn it around, and by all indications he'll have the opportunity to do so as a starter in his third season. However, he'll need to improve upon the 96.3 passer rating he's allowed on passes in his direction over the first two seasons in his career.

6. DT Tyleik Williams

Williams is the most recent first-round selection by Holmes, picked 28th overall in 2025. He appeared in all 17 games last year, starting 10 games and playing a modest role in the team's defensive line rotation.

The Ohio State product had some big moments for the team last year, including his first-career sack in Week 17 against the Minnesota Vikings. However, there was a spurt in the middle of the season where he played a small allotment of snaps.

This upcoming season has a chance to be a breakout year for Williams, as the team lost Roy Lopez to the Cardinals and has elected to not re-sign DJ Reader up to this point. As a result, Williams is currently the top option to be their nose tackle for the 2026 season.

Detroit could certainly elect to bring in some nose tackle depth, but Williams also has the versatility to slide out a shade on the interior. There's an opportunity for him to play a much bigger role in 2026.

5. WR Jameson Williams

The fact that Williams has had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons as a receiver and is fifth on this list speaks to the overall success of Holmes' work in the first-round of the NFL Draft throughout his tenure.

Williams took some lumps early in his career. He spent most of his first NFL season rehabbing a torn ACL suffered in college, as he didn't debut until December and had just one catch, which was a 41-yard touchdown.

The wideout also endured a suspension for violating the league's gambling rules to start the 2022 season, and was suspended again for violating the PED policy in 2023. However, he began to show what he's truly capable of beginning in the 2023 campaign.

Williams burst onto the scene in a big way in 2024, notching 1,000 yards for the first time in his career. He earned a three-year contract extension prior to the 2025 season, and followed that with another 1,000-yard season.

He's truly become the team's second option behind All-Pro Amon-Ra St. Brown, and is one of the league's most explosive deep threats. Additionally, Williams has shown a ton of growth in the intermediate game and has become a very solid well-rounded receiver.

4. LB Jack Campbell

If the 2025 season is any indication, Campbell could be on his way to climbing up this list. He had a breakout campaign and proved that he is capable of being a leader of Kelvin Sheppard's defense in his third NFL season, earning First Team All-Pro honors for the first time.

Campbell has started every game each of the last two years, and has back-to-back seasons with over 130 combined tackles. He appears to be the centerpiece of Detroit's defense for the future, as he has handled the MIKE duties.

With Alex Anzalone gone, Campbell appears primed to take over as one of the team's defensive captains. Dan Campbell said as much at the owner's meetings, and the Iowa product has been lauded for his leadership abilities by his teammates and coaches.

3. RB Jahmyr Gibbs

The Lions surprised many in the NFL with their decision to draft Gibbs 12th overall, but the returns have been exceptional to this point. In his three seasons, Gibbs has emerged as one of the NFL's top explosive threats.

After a slow start to his rookie year, Gibbs finished just short of 1,000 rushing yards in his debut campaign. He followed that with an elite sophomore campaign, going over 1,400 yards on the ground and scoring 20 all-purpose touchdowns.

In the 2025 season, Gibbs was elite once again with 1,223 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. He asserted himself as the top option, as the team utilized David Montgomery less throughout the year and eventually traded him to the Houston Texans.

Heading into 2026, the Lions continue to have plans to utilize him more as a pass-catcher and brought in Isiah Pacheco to complement him.

2. EDGE Aidan Hutchinson

Hutchinson has been every bit of the explosive pass-rusher the Lions hoped he would be when the team drafted him second overall in the 2022 draft. Though he went through some slow stretches early in his career, he has been very consistent over the last two seasons.

Hutchinson recorded 21 sacks combined over his first two seasons and was on his way to an elite breakout year in 2024 with 7.5 sacks in five games. However, the season ended early on an unfortunate note after he suffered a gruesome leg injury.

Throughout the subsuquent offseason, there were concerns about whether he would be able to return to form in 2025. He answered those questions with authority, notching a career-best 14.5 sacks last season.

Hutchinson earned a hefty four-year extension for his efforts and figures to be the team's anchor for their pass-rush for the foreseeable future.

1. OT Penei Sewell

Sewell was Holmes' first ever draft pick as GM of the Lions, picked seventh overall in 2021. He has quickly become one of the NFL's best offensive linemen and has been a First Team All-Pro each of the last three seasons.

The Oregon product has showed elite athleticism throughout his career as a downfield blocker as well as a pass protector. Sewell notched a Pro Football Focus grade of 96.8 in the run-blocking category.

Sewell earned an extension prior to the 2024 season for his performance, and is truly a staple of the team's future. The 2026 season could bring some change for the talented lineman, as the Lions released Taylor Decker and could plan to move Sewell from right to left tackle as Jared Goff's blindside protector.