Ranking the Detroit Lions' last 10 first-round picks

The Detroit Lions are picking later in the first round this year than they have in a long time, and rarely in their history (No. 29 overall). That's as strong a testament to the work Brad Holmes has done in his three drafts as general manager as anything else, and the results that have quickly come on the field due to hitting on a lot of picks across those three drafts.

The Lions' first draft pick hasn't even been outside the top-12 overall in any of the last five drafts, though it's worth noting their first pick in 2023 came from the Los Angeles Rams as the last vestige of the Matthew Stafford trade. But usually that first pick has been due to being bad in the prior season.

Holmes has made it clear he's about talent acquisition in the draft, without strict regard to broad, "expert" perceptions of positional value or strict adherence to filling roster needs. What he's doing in the draft is working very well, as it's built the Lions into a top NFC team in three years. So until what he's doing doesn't work, there's no arguing with it.

The Lions last 10 first-round picks of course stretches back to the tenure of much (and deservedly)-maligned former general manager Bob Quinn. It's actually an equal split, five and five, between first-round picks made by Holmes and Quinn to make up the team's last 10. Holmes has had two first-round picks in each of the last two drafts to tilt that split toward him.

Let's rank the last 10 first-round picks for the Lions.

Ranking the Detroit Lions' last 10 first-round draft picks

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