When you think of Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes, you immediately think about how dominant he has been in the NFL Draft. After all, Holmes has landed the likes of Penei Sewell, Aidan Hutchinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jameson Williams, Brian Branch, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jack Campbell, Sam LaPorta, and Alim McNeill (yes, I left some out) all within his first three draft classes with the Lions.
One NFL Writer Believes Brad Holmes Swung and Missed in 2024
But when you look at what Holmes did in 2024, you have to wonder if he finally had a down year. According to Gennaro Filice of NFL.com, that is certainly the case, as he ranked the Lions’ 2024 draft class at No. 28 in the league with a C+ grade.
Here is what Filice said about the Lions Class of 2024:
Like Philadelphia, Detroit drafted cornerbacks in the first two rounds. Unlike Philadelphia, Detroit didn’t enjoy immediate Super Bowl-winning returns. Ennis Rakestraw Jr.’s season was waylaid by injuries, so it’s hard to judge his actual performance. Terrion Arnold, on the other hand, basically started the entire season — and he experienced significant growing pains, particularly in a flag-filled opening month. In his defense, cornerbacks face one of the most difficult transitions from college to pro, largely because NFL rules are much stricter when it comes to policing and punishing contact in coverage. On top of that, Aaron Glenn runs one of the most man-heavy defenses in the NFL. Per PFF, Arnold comfortably led the league in man-coverage snaps. Essentially, Detroit threw this rookie right into the fire and then doused him with gasoline. He didn’t thrive, but he survived, showing progress as the season transpired. So long as Arnold maintains the self confidence that we all saw back on draft night in Detroit — when he memorably hit the stage and told a raucous crowd of Lions fans “Y’all got yourself a star” — I could see a major step forward in Year 2.
Beyond those first two picks, Detroit’s most notable returns came via Christian Mahogany (who excelled in a pair of spot starts at guard, one of which came in the postseason) and Sione Vaki (the RB/DB who got the special teamer nod on the PFWA All-Rookie Team ).
Detroit Lions 2024 NFL Draft Class
Round 1
- (No. 24) Terrion Arnold, CB
Round 2
- (61) Ennis Rakestraw Jr., CB
Round 4
Round 6
- (189) Mekhi Wingo, DT
- (210) Christian Mahogany, OG
Bottom Line
The bottom line is that it is way too early to tell how the Detroit Lions Class of 2024 will pan out. Terrion Arnold played much, much better as the season went on, and he could still end up being a top-end NFL cornerback. Ennis Rakestraw was injured for most of the 2024 season, so the Lions still do not know what they have there. At this point, the biggest head-scratcher is Giovanni Manu, who Holmes traded up to select in the fourth-round. That said, if he ends up panning out, he could he one heck of a pick. My favorite pick of the draft when it took place was Christian Mahogany in Round 6. Mahogany is an absolute beast and I believe he will be a pillar of the Lions offensive line for the next decade.
When you look at the Lions Class of 2024 right now, there is not a ton to call home about. That said, grading a draft class after one season is not a very productive thing to do.
