GM Holmes talks trade-up decisions and recapping media sessions with Lions' Day 2 draft picks Ratledge and TeSlaa

Allen Park — The Detroit Lions traded up twice on Friday, selecting Georgia guard Tate Ratledge in the second round and Arkansas wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa in the third. Both players phoned in for a video call with local media to discuss their draft night experiences, and general manager Brad Holmes capped the evening by taking questions about the execution of the team’s plans.

Below are the highlights from those three media sessions.

● Before even getting a chance to watch TeSlaa’s college film, Holmes first got eyes on the receiver at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. There, the big-bodied receiver grabbed the attention of Detroit’s general manager with his physicality in the run game.

“He was just being a pest and he was just pissing off the DBs and the defenders and, obviously, it just made me want to completely watch the tape,” Holmes said. “You see a guy that’s just big, long, smooth strider, can accelerate, can run. He’s a hands-catcher, can play special teams, can block, can do a lot of things.”

TeSlaa primarily played in the slot at Arkansas. Still, Holmes believes the prospect has the skill set to play outside with some development.

“He’s going to have to learn getting off press and all that stuff, just like they all do, but he’s got all the physical tools and he’s got the intangible makeup to be able to overcome that.”

TeSlaa began his college career at Hillsdale College before jumping to the SEC. Once the NFL became a realistic goal, he started studying NFL players he viewed as having similar skill sets, including budding Rams star Puka Nacua.

“I think he does so many things so well,” TeSlaa said. “You can move him inside, outside. He’s great against man, he’s great against zone. He uses his size, you can put him in motion, he can block in the run game, great in play-action. I just think he does so many things well and I think that’s something I can bring to the table.”

● Tate exclusively played right guard at Georgia. However, one of the things that drew Holmes to the prospect was unseen versatility.

“He rose more as the process went along because of his versatility that we were able to find out a little bit more about,” Holmes said. “I thought that he would fit in just like a glove here.”

Tate, a left tackle in high school, noted he got some work at center on the practice field last season. Known for his high football character, as well as his physical and mental toughness, he acknowledged he’d be happy to play wherever the Lions ask. He's not concerned about playing on the opposite side of the line if needed.

“It’s flipping your technique,” Ratledge said. “Last fall camp, I took a lot of snaps at center. Just like I can imagine going to left guard, I mean, it was a big transition. I had to get used to it. It took me a few days. When it comes down to it, a lot of the same rules apply. It’s just figuring out different footwork, hand placement, how to set people, and how to run block people. It’s just figuring out different techniques and how to perfect those at different positions.

“…I’m here to do whatever helps the team win,” Ratlegde said. “I’m a team player through and through. They need me to kick out at tackle, I’ll go kick out at tackle. They need me to be an X receiver and run go balls, I can do that. I think it’s down to what they need me to do and what they see me as. And then like I said earlier, I just want a chance to compete and a chance to go out there and do my best every day.”

● Detroit addressed needs with each of the team’s first three draft picks. Regardless, there was unsurprisingly some chatter about the perceived roster hole they didn’t fill at edge rusher.

Holmes clearly anticipated the questions.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a disappointment because we got all guys that we love,” he said. “…I don’t need to get into specifics, but there were times we made attempts to get one, and you just — they got picked before (you select), you couldn’t (move) up. It takes two to trade. Or, we had another player higher (on our draft board). But we did the same thing that we do every draft. We picked the highest-rated player regardless of position. So that’s what we did this whole way through. That’s what we’re going to do again tomorrow.”

Holmes said the team will continue to look for upgrades on the edge, like all positions, but won’t panic if they don’t add depth at that spot on Day 3 of the draft.

“We’ll keep looking,” Holmes said. “I mean, we’ll turn over every stone. There are other avenues in the player acquisition process, so it doesn’t stop at the draft, so we’ll see. …just because you don’t draft one doesn’t mean — we added one last year at the trade deadline. It’s more on the top of y’all’s priority than it is on the top of our priority (list).”

● TeSlaa came in for a 30 visit earlier this month, and the Michigan native showed up at the team facility wearing a custom Lions jersey with his name on the back. At first, Holmes wasn’t sure about the decision, thinking it was cheesy until he learned how big of a fan TeSlaa was of the team growing up.

“I was like, ‘Come on, he didn’t put a Lions jersey on,’” Holmes said. “But no, he said, ‘I’ve had this since the eighth grade. What better time to wear it than now?’ And so, I really respected that. But he truly grew up as a Lions fan through and through.’

TeSlaa said he’s been rooting for the Lions for as long as he can remember, regularly attending games as a youth. Holmes noted TeSlaa’s jersey was No. 10, the prospect’s high school number at Unity Christian. That jersey currently belongs to receiver Ronnie Bell in Detroit.

“I don’t know if I have the words right now," TeSlaa said. "I’m still processing it right now. Obviously, it’s been not only a dream to play in the NFL but to play for my hometown team, the team I’ve rooted for since I’ve been a baby. It’s just an incredible feeling."

● Holmes was asked if defensive end Mike Green had been removed from the team’s draft board, but the GM respectfully declined comment. The Marshall standout previously had two sexual assault allegations against him. However, he was never arrested, charged, or even interviewed by the police in either case.

Viewed by many analysts as a first-round talent, with some listing Green among the 10 best prospects in the draft, he was finally drafted at the end of the second round by the Baltimore Ravens, two picks after the Lions grabbed Ratledge.

● Last year, Holmes affectionately noted that sixth-round draft pick Christian Mahogany had some dirtbag in his game. That’s a label Ratledge has similarly embraced. Holmes likes the idea of pairing the two together.

“I think that’s going to be cool, both those guys being in the locker room together and in that O-line room together,” Holmes said. “Again, just like Mahogany, (Ratledge) fit what we were looking for, Tate fits what we’re looking for. Whether he’s got his mullet or not, he plays the game the right way. He’s tough, he’s physical, he’s a lot more athletic than you may think, and he’s got a lot more versatility than people may realize, and that’s when he really, really rose through the process for us. Yeah, those guys fit. They’re smart, they’re tough, they’re gritty, and they play our style of ball.”

Ratledge said having a dirtbag mentality is something he sees as intrinsic to his position.

“I think everybody that plays this position at a high level has a little bit of that in them — some more than others — but I think everybody has got that in them,” he said. “I think it’s a great thing to have more than one guy, and I think (the Lions) have a lot of them by watching them play.”

● Holmes came to the podium wearing a black hoodie with the letters “HWS” on the front and crossed out as part of the design. He explained that it’s a mantra to not get fixated on measurables.

“Height, weight, speed, it is the opposite of film evaluation, and we’re all about film evaluation,” Holmes said. “That’s the hard part of scouting. Height, weight, speed are easy. Stats are easy. A position listed is easy. But film evaluation is hard to figure out.”

● Among the many tattoos Ratledge has is a lion on his right forearm. He said he had it done last year and hadn’t considered the symbolism until he was asked about it.

“Just a little bit of foreshadowing, I guess,” he said. “I think lions are the king of the jungle for a reason. Just their mentality, their attitude, the way they go about their whole life. I mean, I think that’s just something that I kind of attached my lifestyle to, just that mentality that is never satisfied, never quits. I think that’s something that ties into my life and the way I play the game.”