There's over a week to go ahead of the 2026 NFL draft, and the Detroit Lions are making their final preparations in terms of setting their draft board and identifying which prospects they will prioritize.
The court of public opinion has been busy since the regular season ended in early January hypothesizing which positions Detroit might chase once the draft begins. It's important to remember that all of that was speculation, given Brad Holmes had yet to share his side of the story.
Holmes finally broke his silence in his annual pre-draft press conference, and included a nugget which will certainly not please folks who have been begging the franchise to upgrade a couple of clear needs left over from free agency.
When asked by the media if the Lions have needs in his mind at offensive tackle and defensive end, Holmes immediately vouched for both of his free agency signings in Larry Borom and DJ Wonnum, and admitted that he doesn't necessarily believe he needs to add young supplements.
"I've said in the past I thought (Larry) Borom put out good tape this year. I don't foresee (supplementing them). You don't have a crystal ball, but from what I saw on tape, I do think that he's got starter-level ability Same as (DJ) Wonnum. You're talking about guys that have been starters in the NFL. They're still young. We feel good about both of them, so we don't feel like we have to supplement them."
This may be a smokescreen entering the draft, but if Holmes actually believes that, it would be a worst-case scenario for Detroit. Borom starting would be a nightmare for the Lions, especially if the franchise doesn't bring along a young tackle. Similarly, the Lions need a bit more than Wonnum to supplement a lagging pass rush.
The Lions can certainly start both players if they want, but it would make more sense for them to add young players and bring them along at the same time. Proclaiming the Lions have enough because of both additions would be a fool's errand.
NFL analyst believes Detroit's big needs on both lines are obvious
Even though Holmes might not believe he has a pressing need at tackle or defensive end, every bit of analysis from the experts coming into the draft continues to revolve around those two positions as huge spots of need for Detroit.
NFL.com analyst Gennaro Filice took a look at breaking down needs for every NFC team entering the draft. Typically, he still believes the Lions need to add both a tackle and a defensive end relatively quickly once the picks begin next week.
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"Detroit entered free agency with two glaring needs: an offensive tackle opposite Penei Sewell and a defensive end across from Aidan Hutchinson. On the open market, the Lions patched up those spots by signing a pair of veteran Band-Aids (OT Larry Borom and DE D.J. Wonnum) to one-year deals. Detroit needs more permanent solutions. It’s a fool’s errand to predict what GM Brad Holmes will target in the draft, but Lions fans are essentially begging him to address those two positions with the team’s only two top-100 picks: Nos. 17 and 50 overall."
The Lions, on paper, must prioritize both positions early within the draft in order to give themselves a good chance to turn around their roster. The additions of Borom and Wonnum aren't enough to rely on, so Detroit needs to address those spots first and then fill other needs along the way.
With over a week to go before the draft, it's likely that Holmes isn't going to give anything away as it relates to his plan. That doesn't make his public admission any less concerning, though.
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