The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine can be an underestimated source of knowledge. General managers and head coaches can be coy, but some are much more candid with their intentions about what will happen in the offseason. Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes opted for honesty on Tuesday.
After talking about the difficulty of finding quality pass-rushers without breaking the bank to do so, Holmes said Detroit’s ability to add a major star across from Aidan Hutchinson will be in the draft.
Hutchinson is entering his fourth season in 2025, meaning an early extension makes sense for the franchise to get done. Fellow star pass rushers Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby, and T.J. Watt will get new deals this offseason, so expect Hutchinson’s first major extension to go well above Nick Bosa’s current $170 million contract.
This new money will have a significant impact on Holmes’ ability to build a roster. It’s worth it for Detroit, but he’s hesitant to pay a secondary option more than a small amount. Detroit has $51 million in cap space to work with, but that total will dwindle after they deal with incumbent free agents and extensions.
It’s possible Detroit could release veteran Za’Darius Smith, acquired at the trade deadline from Cleveland, and save $5.7 million. I don’t expect that. But I do expect Detroit to use its first round pick on an edge rusher.
We’ve seen most mock drafts already ahead of the curve here. We often see guys like Princely Umanmielen, Jack Sawyer, Mike Green, and Nic Scourton in that range. All of them make sense as an ideal No. 2 to Hutchinson.
That way, Detroit stays young and affordable along the trenches. Inevitably, every Super Bowl contender reaches this point. Holmes seemingly telegraphed what he’ll be forced to do, but it’s not a surprise.