The Detroit Lions had a successful season in 2023, capturing their first division championship in three decades and making it to the NFC Championship Game for the first time in 32 years.
And, general manager Brad Holmes’ excellent ’23 selection class contributed significantly to the Lions’ success this season.
Most notably, Holmes hit gold with his first- and second-round picks. He moved back from the sixth overall pick to grab running back Jahmyr Gibbs at number twelve, and then drafted off-ball linebacker Jack Campbell at number eighteen. He then selected tight end Sam LaPorta at No. 34 overall, using the additional selection earned by trading out of the No. 6 spot, and defensive back Brian Branch at No. 45.
While those decisions were heavily criticized at the time for their lack of so-called “positional value,” they eventually paid off handsomely for Holmes & Co.
Gibbs and LaPorta both made Pro Bowls in their rookie seasons, while Branch established as a key member in the Lions’ secondary. Furthermore, Campbell, while not as impactful, showed signs of being a valuable member of the team’s linebacking corps.
At this point, it appears that the organization is on track to become a perennial Super Bowl contender. According to Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Focus, the Lions can do this by continuing to build through the draft.
“I think they’re smart enough to know, keep your foot on the gas, keep doing what we’ve been doing,” Palazzolo said on the Pro Football Focus “Fixing Every AFC & NFC North Team in 5 Minutes!” broadcast on Monday. “They landed on four of the top 50 or whatever draft picks. I believe Jack Campbell will be a hit in the end, but the other three are unquestionably successful. They made good draft picks. They don’t live in this world with
He and fellow PFF writer Sam Monson suggested that EDGE Danielle Hunter would be a wise free-agent target for Detroit this offseason. They opined that he would provide a much-needed boost to the team’s pass-rushing efforts, without taking away from the team’s ability to retain its own crop of star players.
