Brad Holmes defends Jahmyr Gibbs, Jack Campbell selections

Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes held a press conference on Thursday night to discuss his team's two first-round 2023 NFL Draft picks, RB Jahmyr Gibbs and LB Jack Campbell. During the conference, Holmes made it clear that he prioritizes the team's conviction over the predictions of popular mock drafts. He emphasized that the team selects players based on their ability to make an impact on the field, regardless of where they were projected to go in the draft. To be blunt, Holmes really could not care less about mock drafts, or about what anyone else thinks.

Key Points

• Holmes values conviction and strategy over mock draft predictions
• The Lions selected Gibbs at No. 12 and Campbell at No. 18 overall in the first round of the draft
• Holmes believes that when a team comes across a special player, they should draft him regardless of where he is projected to go
• The Lions' draft strategy is based on their own evaluations of players and their fit with the team, rather than popular mock drafts

Why it Matters

Holmes reaffirmed his commitment to draft strategy and conviction over popular mock draft predictions in his press conference after selecting Jahmyr Gibbs and Jack Campbell in the first round of the NFL draft.

Brad Holmes defends Jahmyr Gibbs, Jack Campbell selections

During his presser, Holmes explained why he selected Gibbs at No. 12 and Campbell at No. 18.

“They’re football players, if you believe they can have an impact for you on the football field then you go ahead and take them,” Holmes said. “It’s no disrespect to the mock drafts, I get it’s not the guys that everybody had in their mock drafts and all that stuff, but frankly, we don’t care.

“When you come across a special player like that and you’re convicted, you just get him.”

“It happened to work out perfect when we made the trade with Arizona,” Holmes said. “Everybody’s board is different, everybody has different rosters and different needs, they’re looking for different things. It doesn’t always line up that way but it happened to line up that way tonight.”

Bottom Line – Holmes could not care less about what others think

The NFL draft is a game of uncertainty, and while mock drafts can provide some insight into where players might go, they ARE NEVER the deciding factor in a team's draft strategy. Holmes' made it VERY CLEAR on Thursday night that his team's commitment to conviction and draft strategy over popular opinion will always be what he trusts when it comes to evaluating players.