3 Detroit Lions who can safely be called busts after the 2023 season
It's safe to say Brad Holmes has nailed all three of his drafts thus far as Detroit Lions' general manager. Immediate contributors and foundational pieces have been added in all three, and with four top-100 picks this year Holmes is in line for another good run in late-April.
But no general manager is infallible in the draft.
Injuries impact or flat-out derail a player's development sometimes, never to recover. At times, someone just proves unworthy of holding a significant role and goes down as a miss. But Holmes' priority to build through the draft yielded an NFC Championship Game berth in Year 3, so it's impossible to argue with that being an appropriate plan.
As contract extensions loom for some players in those recent draft classes, keeping the pipeline of young and cheap talent full will take on more and more importance.
A list of Lions' busts would be easier to make if it were being done at least 4-5 years ago reviewing the prior season. The pickings are slim right now looking back to the just-completed season, which is a sign of the work Holmes has done.
Still, these three Lions' players can safely be declared as busts after the 2023 season.