Do you agree with Brad Holmes’ best player available approach?

Do you agree with Holmes’ pure ‘best player available’ approach?

**My answer:** There are obvious exceptions, but I do actually believe this remains the best draft strategy no matter where the team is in their roster health. The obvious exceptions are drafting a quarterback when you don’t need one, and—for a team like the Lions right now—drafting a running back high when you already have an RB1. Otherwise, I think it’s a sound strategy. As Holmes outlined, needs can change in a hurry and are very much year-to-year. There is no greater example that the Lions’ safety room from 2025 to 2026. Last year after Kerby Joseph signed his extension, it looked like the Lions’ were headed for a decade of top-tier safety play with Joseph and Brian Branch holding down the fort. Then, Joseph missed most of the 2025 season with a concerning knee issue and Branch suffered a torn Achilles that will likely impact his 2026 availability. Beyond that, if you just target the best players the draft has to offer, things tend to have a way of working out. Good NFL coaching can adapt to have a surplus of talent at a specific position, whether that means adopting new personnel packages, finding creative ways to getting your best players on the field, or splitting the workload in a way that maximized efficiency. Don’t get me wrong, when the Lions are as close as they are, the temptation to add “the final piece” is there. But I find the idea of a final piece more fantasy than fact. There are a million different things that can influence whether a team wins a Super Bowl or not, and relying upon a rookie to get you over the top is a pretty foolish approach. All that said, do I still want the Lions to draft an offensive tackle early in this year’s draft? Yeah, absolutely. It’s a short and long-term need, and I think there should be a talented player or two at the position with Pick 17. But if Holmes doesn’t feel the same about the talent available there, I would have no problem with him pivoting. What are your thoughts on best player available? Is it too strict of a strategy? Does your draft strategy have to change at different points of roster talent? Share your thoughts in the comment section.