Detroit Free Press

Brad Holmes was given a blank slate when hired as Detroit Lions general manager in January, a canvas to create a team in the image he wants. That is a big reason why I see this as a position-less draft for the Lions. Holmes does not have to draft to fill needs because he has

Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes held his pre-draft news conference Friday and, since he was speaking with a bunch of reporters, he must have felt it would be helpful to use a word of the day. And that word was “cluster.” As in Holmes thinks there’s a cluster of very good players that gives

Bob Quinn drafted from his basement last spring, with a Winnebago parked in his driveway and his two kids helping to keep his draft board in order. Brad Holmes will be back in the Detroit Lions‘ Allen Park practice facility next week, with a more familiar setup even if things aren’t quite back to normal

Brad Holmes made a blockbuster trade in his first two weeks on the job, and the Detroit Lions first-year general manager is open to another one on 2021 NFL draft day. Holmes said in his pre-draft news conference Friday he is open to moving up or down from the No. 7 spot in the first

Free Press sports reporter Dave Birkett takes a position-by-position look at the top prospects and biggest Detroit Lions needs in the 2021 NFL draft. This is the fourth in an eight-part series. Special teams The Lions started slowly churning their special teams units last spring when they bid farewell to long-time punter Sam Martin in free agency.

Here’s one more chance to get ready for the NFL draft, and learn about how one draft hopeful is preparing for a chance at a dream job. In an offer for our subscribers only, we’re hosting a Zoom chat to break down all things NFL draft. Beginning at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Free Press sports writer

D’Wayne Eskridge was done. When Western Michigan coach Tim Lester came to him after the 2018 season and told him he was moving to cornerback, Eskridge contemplated leaving the school he professed his loyalty to after a hardscrabble recruiting process a few years earlier. The Broncos secondary was in turmoil that winter, and Lester told

The NFL draft kicks off one week from today, and with the first couple picks all but locked into place, it’s time for my fourth mock draft of the spring. 1. Jacksonville Jaguars Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson Too many people are making a fuss out of nothing over what Lawrence said to former Freep columnist Michael Rosenberg

Free Press sports reporter Dave Birkett takes a position-by-position look at the top prospects and biggest Detroit Lions needs in the 2021 NFL draft. This is the third in an eight-part series. Wide receiver/tight end The Lions are three-quarters of the way through overhauling a receiving corps that lost its top four options from 2020, but

Rashawn Slater would be a first-round pick had he never played a game against Ohio State in his college career. But one Friday night date with the Buckeyes in October of 2019 illustrates why some talent evaluators believe Slater is the best offensive tackle in this year’s NFL draft — better than Oregon’s Penei Sewell

Detroit Free Press sports reporter Dave Birkett takes a position-by-position look at the top prospects and biggest Detroit Lions needs in the 2021 NFL draft. This is the second in an eight-part series. Offensive line The strength of the Lions’ offense right now is their line, but that does not mean they are set at the position group

The Detroit Lions famously drafted wide receivers with their first-round pick three years in a row (2003-05). But it didn’t stop Matt Millen from doing it again when Calvin Johnson entered the draft in 2007. Whatever else you say about the former Lions general manager, he got that pick right. You don’t pass on that

Most of college football’s best players leave school after their junior season. Last year, with the COVID-19 pandemic wrecking havoc on the sport, some didn’t make it to their third year at all. But as fashionable as it has become to leave school early, several of this year’s top running backs bucked that trend. Alabama’s

Detroit Free Press sports reporter Dave Birkett takes a position-by-position look at the top prospects and biggest Detroit Lions needs in the 2021 NFL draft. This is the first in an eight-part series. Running back The Lions’ backfield appears to be largely spoken for this fall as D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams should share the bulk of

Davis Mills doesn’t deal in “what ifs.” With the 2021 NFL draft just over a week away, there is no time for that. “I mean, everything — all past experiences are learning experiences,” Mills said in March. “So can’t go back and dwell on the what-ifs. I’m just focused on what’s ahead.” What’s ahead for

The late, great Tom Petty summed it up pretty well 40 years ago this month when we first heard him sing, “The waiting is the hardest part.” Kind of encapsulates where we are in the NFL’s pre-draft season with the main event still 10 days away. But before that happens, Trey Lance will throw again

We’re less than two weeks away from the NFL draft, and I got the bright idea to squeeze in one final mailbag when @kyle_warwick asked me Thursday on Twitter who I would take if I were the Detroit Lions at No. 7. The caveat being that Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence and BYU quarterback Zach Wilson

What a mess. There’s just no other way to describe what’s going on between the NFL and the NFL Players Association. The union is telling players to skip voluntary offseason workouts, ostensibly because of concern over COVID-19 protocols. On Wednesday, Lions players were the fourth among a growing list of NFL teams that said they

Wide receiver isn’t quite the new running back, but college football is producing enough high-quality pass catchers that some believe teams are wise to wait on taking that position in the NFL draft. Mel Kiper Jr. said Wednesday he has 40 or so receivers with draft-eligible grades this year, but three elite players at the position

Show Caption Hide Caption Ex-Detroit Lions RBs coach Kyle Caskey breaks down NFL draft prospects Former Detroit Lions running backs coach Kyle Caskey shares his thoughts on the backs in the 2021 NFL draft class. Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press If the Atlanta Falcons do not take their heir apparent to Matt Ryan, the Detroit