Grading the Detroit Lions' 2022 draft class, three years later
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes strapped a rocket to the franchise's rebuild with his first draft class in 2021, selecting two future All-Pros and four other starters, including three who remain with the team on second contracts.
That set a high bar for Holmes' acumen as an evaluator and lofty expectations for his encore in 2022, with the team holding the No. 2 overall pick and a second first-rounder, coming from the Rams as part of the Matthew Stafford/Jared Goff swap a year earlier.
I've long eschewed the performative exercise of immediately grading a draft, preferring to evaluate the class three years after the fact, when abilities and roles are established.
As we near the 2025 draft, let's assess how well Holmes was able to follow up on his foundation-laying performance as a rookie GM.
Round 1, Pick No. 2 - Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson
This is as uncomplicated as things get. Regardless of some questions about Hutchinson's arm length throughout the pre-draft process, he proved to have an answer to the physical limitation by posting elite agility numbers at the combine.
As a rookie, Hutchinson's production was heavily fueled by his hustle. Following the debut campaign, he's continued to take clear steps forward each year, legitimately looking like one of the NFL's elite pass rushers prior to breaking his leg last season.
It's admittedly easy to become infatuated with the hometown product because of familiarity, yet Hutchinson is everything a team could want in a building block. He's athletic, productive, and doesn't have issues with complacency. He is driven to be better than he was the previous day, week and season.
Alternative option: Cornerback Sauce Gardner
Hutchinson was the right choice, but the team wouldn't be dealing with buyer's remorse had they taken Gardner, the Detroit native who was a shutdown corner coming out of Cincinnati. He's limited opposing quarterbacks to completing 50.9% of their passes when targeting him through three years, resulting in two first-team All-Pro selections.
Grade: A+
Round 1, Pick No. 12 - Wide receiver Jameson Williams
The decision to trade up 20 spots to snag Williams remains one of Holmes' boldest moves as Detroit's GM.