INDIANAPOLIS — It’s combine week, and the Detroit Lions are out in full force as things unfold.
We talked to Brad Holmes about the draft, free agency and pass rushers. Dan Campbell and his new coordinators spoke to local media for the first time since the 2025 coaching staff was formally announced. Things are different, for sure, but it was fascinating to hear and see how these new coaches operate.
Allow us to share some insight.
A reminder of how the Lions approach the draft
It’s draft season, so, perhaps it’s worth a refresher before we inevitably forget. It’s easy to look at the roster, identify the biggest needs and pair this franchise with a prospect who plays said position. Where things differ between the Lions and public perception typically comes down to, well, patience.
“We’re not a needs-based drafting team,” Holmes said. “We just get the best football player for us so we don’t really get too fixated on positions.”
Not the first time you’ve heard that. Won’t be the last either. Holmes used the cornerback conversation as an example. He said the Lions had been looking for a young cornerback to build around since he got to Detroit. Makes sense. It was a weak spot. Many assumed they’d select Illinois’ Devon Witherspoon or Christian Gonzalez in the 2023 draft. But sometimes it doesn’t line up the way you want it to.
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The Lions loved Witherspoon. He was drafted fifth by the Seahawks, one spot ahead of where they were slotted. So, Holmes traded down and took another player he loved in Jahmyr Gibbs — while adding capital to select Sam LaPorta. The Patriots took Gonzalez 17th, with the Lions up next at 18. Who knows if he would’ve been the target, but a few other corners were drafted in that range. None of them ranked higher on Detroit’s board than Jack Campbell, who was graded as a first-round talent.
Last year, things lined up. Terrion Arnold, their top cornerback in the class, also happened to be the top prospect on their board. They went up and got him at 24. In the second round, again, the top player on their board was a cornerback — Ennis Rakestraw Jr. Holmes went as far as to say that Arnold and Rakestraw were the top corners on Detroit’s board. The stars just happened to align. Don’t expect the Lions to drastically shift from the very approach that got them here.
So as we look at the roster and try to determine what the Lions need, the question you always have to ask is if they’d be sacrificing talent for need when the moment arrives. The answer is usually no.
That said…Holmes is a fan of this defensive line class.
“Me and Ray Agnew were just kind of looking at the totality of, ‘Yeah, it’s a lot deeper than what we can remember,’ at least in the past couple of years,” Holmes said. “That’s both inside and out for sure.”
Will Detroit’s extensions limit spending power in free agency?
The Lions under Holmes and Campbell have never been big spenders. They’re not typically operating in the Tier 1 category of free agency — the high-priced vets on long-term deals. So if that’s what you’re expecting, especially after the extensions the Lions have given to their own, feel free to join us here in reality.
“I mean, obviously, the free agency component, because we have so much that’s upcoming, I don’t really foresee us being — I don’t know what the line is of big spenders in free agency,” Holmes said. “I know that you guys have questioned me in the past about how much — what is a big spender for free agency? Well, a $6 million guy, an $8 million, $10 million, $12 million — that’s not pocket change, which, we’ve done that in the past. So I don’t know if that’s the $15 or $20 (million), I don’t know what that number is, but obviously, it does put a limit to how much you can actually spend externally in free agency when you’re trying to keep your guys that you know. Because what you want to do is you want to keep the known good players and you don’t want to compromise them to overspend on unknowns.”
That last part — overspending on unknowns — is pretty much the key takeaway there. The Lions do so much homework on the draft. But it’s not height/weight/speed. Every team has that information. They scout the person. What drives a player? Why does he play the game? How is he perceived by his teammates and coaches? Does he like football or does he love it?
That extends to free agency, too. You can watch a guy play, but if you don’t know who he is as a person and have to hand him $80 million dollars to get him, you could get burned in short order. It’s why the Lions have hit singles and doubles rather than swinging for the fences. It’s gotten them the likes of David Montgomery, DJ Reader, Amik Robertson, Kevin Zeitler or a Carlton Davis III via trade — good players they didn’t have to sell the farm or go bankrupt acquiring. Expect that to continue.
The Lions, Myles Garrett and a potential Aidan Hutchinson extension
You couldn’t help but notice the scene at the combine, around 1:15 p.m. There was Browns GM Andrew Berry on one podium, drowning in a sea of Myles Garrett questions. To his left was Holmes — answering a few himself, indirectly. Many view these teams as a potential pair if the Browns were to move Garrett after his trade request. Just a few feet away from one another, both men took time to pump the brakes.
“He’s part of our organization,” Berry said of Garrett. “Really good person, he’s an awesome player. Understand the trade request and everything, but our stance really has not changed. We can’t imagine a situation where not having Myles as a part of the organization is really best for the Browns.”
One thing Holmes learned at the trade deadline is that teams aren’t just giving away star pass rushers, and in a way, that might’ve been reiterated Tuesday by the man standing next to him during his combine podium session. It’s easy to say the Browns should trade Garrett and rebuild after a losing season. It’s also easy to envision some folks in Cleveland losing their jobs amid the fallout from a move like that.
These teams are trying to win games. That’s easier to do with a star pass rusher on your roster.
“So we lost a star edge rusher due to injury right?” Holmes said. “Well, just because you lose a star pass rusher, there’s not but so many in the league anyway. Just because we lost a star pass rusher due to injury, that doesn’t mean that other teams are going to say, ‘Hey, we have a star pass rusher. I know that you lost one, but we have one. Would you like to have this one?’ No, that’s a star pass rusher for that team and they’re trying to win games. It’s not just the trade deadline. It’s free agency and during the year. Those guys are hard to find. That’s why it’s called a premium position. Yeah, those guys are hard to acquire. And it’s hard to keep them, financially.
“We have one that’s due for an extension and we’ve already kind of gotten to the planning stages about him already. When you talk about adding another, it’s can you financially add another one? Because you one to add the other one on top of everything else you already have and that makes it tough.”
That, of course, was Holmes telling reporters that the Lions are in the planning stages of an Aidan Hutchinson extension. Essentially, they have a star pass rusher and want to keep him. Go figure.
Handing Hutchinson an extension that will be north of $35 million per year while also factoring in a player like Garrett would be difficult, and could come at the expense of other young players the Lions might want to keep around. When asked point blank if the Lions can afford to add a second star pass rusher, Holmes laughed.
“Probably not,” he said.
So, it might be time to put a pin in those talks. For now at least.
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Why Dan Campbell chose Kelvin Sheppard and John Morton
This was our first time hearing from Dan Campbell since he reshaped his coaching staff, following the departure of several assistants. He used the time to go in-depth on his new coordinators, Kelvin Sheppard and John Morton.
Sheppard has been on Campbell’s staff since 2021. Linebackers are his area of expertise and it shows. Campbell never seemed concerned about his linebackers and that has everything to do with Sheppard and his ability to teach. The Lions slowly put more on his plate, starting two years ago, and had been preparing him for this move. They believe he’s ready.
“I’ve always believed that Shep could be an outstanding coach,” Campbell said. “About two years ago, I just felt like, ‘Man, this guy will be ready to be a coordinator sooner than later.’ So, AG and I had talked about it and tried to give him more responsibility over the last two years. …Without telling him. Nothing was ever promised. I felt really good about that, like, he’s ready. He’s ready.”
While Sheppard is a rising coach, Morton is a veteran who’s been around the block. Campbell’s worked with him in New Orleans and Detroit in 2022. I was curious about Morton’s role as a senior offensive assistant back then and what things looked like behind the scenes, so I asked Campbell to shed some light on some of his responsibilities and why he was the pick when this job came open.
“He was one of the pivotal pieces of helping us put this together, this offense version for Goff with Goff,” Campbell said of Morton. “…A lot of things we used, man. He’s a guy who — he does not lack ideas ever. So he’s very creative in that regard. He’s a grinder. He’s an unbelievably hard worker. Day of the game, same thing. You’re talking about four hours before the game, five hours, he’s going through all these tendencies, tendencies, tendencies, ideas he’s just trying to give. Ben may need these thoughts, so he’s got, ‘Hey, I think this is what he’s going to do. I’d do this. I think this is–’ So he was ready, man. He constantly always had thoughts on what I would call, what I would do. Kinda one step ahead. So that’s a lot of it.”
Sheppard and Morton are happy to be here.
“It means everything,” Sheppard said. “I mean, guys spend 25 years in this profession and don’t get this opportunity. I’m not blind to that fact, either. I’m very grateful.”
“It’s a dream, right?” said Morton, a native of Auburn Hills, Mich. “Not only am I an OC, but I’m in my hometown. I don’t think that happens too much. So I think it’s really cool. I don’t see it as pressure. I know what the people have been starving for. I mean, everybody is starving for a Super Bowl, but this town, I’ve seen the ups and the downs, from the very beginning from going to my first game at the Silverdome. My high school was right next to the Silverdome there, going past it all the time. I’ve seen that. I know what it takes and it’s my job to help us get there.”
Campbell, Sheppard and Morton on the new-look staff
Pretty much every new hire was discussed in some form or fashion. Here are some of the comments we gathered.
Campbell on Scottie Montgomery (moving to WRs): “I think this is going to be great for us. Scottie is a huge asset for us, and what it does is — he’s an excellent coach, and so now he gets the whole receiver room and the pass game, as well. He’s going to be a huge part of our pass game.”
Campbell on RBs coach Tashard Choice: “I think that he’s somebody who has done a really good job developing backs wherever he’s been. …I think he’s really good at what he does. He’s gifted. He’s played the position, he’s coached in college, so he understands our level of it. He understands Gibbs. He’s coached him. So, that helps. I think he’s gonna be great for David Montgomery as well. That’s big. I just think he’s gonna bring a lot to us.”
Campbell on new DL coach Kacy Rodgers: “I’ve seen him coach. I know what he’s like. I know what the D-line is like with him coaching them. And so I’ve always thought really highly of him. I was fortunate to coach with he and Terrell. So when I knew there was a chance to get him, he was going to be available, it just made sense. I think he’s going to be great for our D-line. I think Hutch and those guys are going to really like him and gravitate to him. He’s one of us. He’s about doing it the right way. Hard worker, sees the game well, understands scheme really well, and then he knows the fundamentals and grinds on those guys.”
Campbell on TEs coach Tyler Roehl: “Young guy, Iowa State running backs coach and then before that he was a coordinator out there at North Dakota State. Interviewed him two years ago, and I was close then. This year was the right year.”
Campbell on offensive assistants Bruce Gradkowski and Marques Tuiasosopo: “Sitting down with both of those guys, you know, I was blown away, man. …They belong with us. That’s how I felt with those interviews with (Marques) Tuiasosopo and then (Bruce) Gradkowski both. It was like, man, these guys, they belong here, man. …I think right now, Bruce will be working in the receiver room with Scottie, helping him out, and then Marques will be in there with (Lions QBs coach Mark Brunell) Bru and the quarterback room helping him out. So, I just love it, man.”
Morton on passing game coordinator David Shaw: “He’s a good friend of mine. He’s my best friend. He’s been established. He knows everything. He’s an extension of me, basically. He knows it all being a head coach, and I think he’s pretty successful at it. And I told him, I said, we started this thing together, which we did. I started my coaching career with him. We just shared a room and we’re going to finish this thing together, so hopefully we get to do that.”
Sheppard on LBs coach Shaun Dion-Hamilton: “It’s crazy. We were just eating lunch, I told him, ‘Dude, it’s crazy watching you in the interviews last night. It’s like I’m watching myself.’ Like, it’s scary. I see a lot of myself in him. And I told him, ‘It’s my duty to do everything that was done for me, for him.’ And not just him, everybody on the staff.”
(Top photo: Stacy Revere / Getty Images)
