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Lions' Brad Holmes discusses NFL draft philosophy on injured players
TL;DR
Lions' GM Brad Holmes discussed his draft philosophy regarding injured players, emphasizing a case-by-case evaluation based on the type and history of injuries. He highlighted the importance of assessing each player's situation individually.
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes delivered his pre-draft press conference earlier this week. There were multiple notable takeaways in regards to medical and injury philosophy when it comes to the draft.
In my Brad Holmes 2026 Pre-Draft Presser: Injury Philosophy & Draft Needs, I analyzed Holmes' philosophy of drafting injured players, the risks of older prospects, and the strategy of best player available vs. positional need. Here is the excerpt on the Lions' draft strategy when it comes to a drafting injured players:
Brad Holmes, Lions' philosophy on drafting injured players
"Depends on what the injury is, it depends on what the injury history has been in the past. Take Jamo, it was his first major injury. You got to look at everything. It’s case by case for sure," Holmes said.
Holmes shows that he is very thoughtful about a player’s entire injury history and takes it all into account. He recognizes that accumulation of injuries is a concern, which I totally agree with. All injuries can carry residuals, some more than others. Just because a player is fully healed doesn’t mean there aren’t residual disabilities or reliability concerns.
He mentioned that Jameson Williams had an ACL but was clean otherwise, thus worth the risk. An ACL has a very good long-term prognosis, while some other injuries do not.
Treating every player (or patient) on a case-by-case basis is absolutely the right thing to do as every player has unique variables that can affect treatment and prognosis.
While it’s possible Holmes will continue to take chances on players with injury histories, I expect the devastating number of Lions’ injuries the past two seasons to cause him to be more conservative.
We’ve already seen the Lions shift towards younger, healthier players so far in free agency. Expect Holmes to play it safe this draft and select players on the lower end of concern level on my NFL draft medical Big Board.
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This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Lions' Brad Holmes discusses NFL draft philosophy on injured players
Q&A
What is Brad Holmes' approach to drafting injured players for the Lions?
Brad Holmes evaluates injured players on a case-by-case basis, considering the type of injury and the player's injury history.
How does injury history affect the Lions' draft strategy?
Injury history plays a crucial role in the Lions' draft strategy, as Holmes believes it influences the decision to select a player.
What did Brad Holmes say about older prospects in the NFL draft?
While the article does not provide specific details, Holmes mentioned the risks associated with older prospects in the context of drafting strategies.
