For being new at the job, Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes did pretty darn well in his first crack at the NFL draft. Holmes landed one of the top-graded draft classes in the breakdown from NFL.com analysts, and the best among the four NFC North competitors.
The Lions draft class of 2021, headlined by first-round pick Penei Sewell, earned an A-minus from NFL.com analyst Gennaro Filice. Sewell, third-round nose tackle Alim McNeill and fourth-round wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown highlight the impressive haul. It earned the Lions one of just two A-level grades in the entire NFC, with the Dallas Cowboys also matching the A-minus for Detroit.
Happily, Filice included the undrafted free agent class in his analysis. Holmes found several keepers, as noted,
And Holmes really did some fine work in the undrafted free-agent market, with a half dozen players providing Year 1 contributions. The two most notable names: Jacobs, who was the team’s best cornerback before suffering an ACL tear in December, and Patterson, who settled the kicker position by converting 13 of 14 field goal attempts over the final seven weeks of the season.
It’s a good and fair review of Holmes’ first class. Hopefully it will continue to grow into something bigger and better for the Lions.
