If you thought the Detroit Lions were aggressive in the 2025 NFL Draft, you were right — but what you saw was just the tip of the iceberg.
Speaking on WXYT-FM’s Costa & Jansen with Heather, Lions general manager Brad Holmes revealed that while he pulled off two trade-ups on Day 2, he actually attempted nearly 30 trades throughout the course of that single day.
“Guys, those were two done out of about 30 attempts,” Holmes said via the Detroit Free Press of the trades for LSU guard Tate Ratledge and Arkansas wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa. “That just happened to be the two that we were able to do.”
Why So Many Attempts?
Holmes explained that finding a trade partner can be more difficult than fans might think.
“It’s hard to sometimes find a partner because teams just don’t want to go that far down,” he said. “The further you go down then the talent pool and the depth on that specific team’s board is going to drop as well, so you have to have peace with that.”
The Trades That Did Happen
- Trade 1: The Lions moved up three spots in Round 2, sending Pick 60 and a fourth-rounder to Denver in exchange for Pick 57 (used to take Ratledge) and a seventh-round pick.
- Trade 2: In the third round, the Lions got much bolder — they jumped 32 spots to grab Isaac TeSlaa, a big, athletic receiver who’s since been revealed as Holmes’ favorite wide receiver in the draft. To do it, Detroit sent Pick 102 and two future third-rounders in 2026 to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The moves highlight Holmes’ aggressive mindset — but also his restraint. Despite trying to make nearly 30 moves, he didn’t force trades that weren’t the right fit.
The Bottom Line
Brad Holmes wasn’t just sitting back and waiting for picks to fall into his lap on Day 2. He was working the phones constantly, trying to position the Lions to get their guys — and in at least two cases, he pulled it off.
If Tate Ratledge becomes a starting guard and Isaac TeSlaa develops into the big-slot threat Holmes envisions, those 30 calls might just feel like a bargain.
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