If you would have talked to just about anyone back in December, including Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes, they would have told you that there was a solid chance that Georgia DT Jalen Carter would be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. As we know, that did not happen as multiple GMs, including Holmes, took a hard pass on arguably the best prospect in the class. On Tuesday, Holmes talked about the fans who are upset that he passed on Carter at No. 6, and even EDGE Tyree Wilson out of Texas Tech.
Key Points
- At one point, Carter was looked at as the No. 1 overall draft pick
- Multiple teams, including the Lions, passed on him in the first round
- Holmes comments about fans being upset about him passing on Carter and Wilson at No. 6
Brad Holmes comments on fans being upset about him passing on Jalen Carter
On Tuesday, Brad Holmes joined Mike Stone and Jon Jansen on The Stoney & Jansen Show, and he talked about the Lions passing on Carter and Wilson and the “cognitive strain” that mock drafts place on the public.
From Will Burchfield:
“You got a battle the whole thing of people having minimal information versus people having all the information, which is awesome,” Holmes said. “And it's tough for the fans because all they have to go off of is the information that they see, the people, putting together these mock drafts, the last two to three months. Well, we've been grinding it for the past nine months. Whenever you put a cognitive strain in a project, i.e. mock draft, or forecasts of where a player is going to be picked, when the desired result isn't what you wanted your brain's not going to like it. If it matches up, and you get a dopamine rush, it's great. But if not, now you're kind of mad and then what compound it is, you gotta get a grade while your brain still doesn't like it. The person who doesn't have much information and put in less time of work is disappointed because of the person who has all the information and put in the most time of work.
“Eventually, the season will kick off and that's why we acquire the players that we acquire, because we're trying to win games. And as that time comes around, the critics, or whoever it is, I think they'll be happy with what they see on the field this year.”
Bottom Line: Holmes and the Lions pick the players THEY love
The bottom line here is pretty simple, really. Holme and his staff put in countless hours of work to scout each and every prospect who will be entering the NFL Draft. They form initial opinions on each of these players, and then, they dig even deeper to make sure that they know every possible thing they can find out. The fact is, NFL GMs, and their staff, have forgotten more than the general public knows about these prospects, and they trust the information they have. As they should.
