When Brad Holmes traded up to draft Jameson Williams last spring, he did so knowing Williams was unlikely to play a key role on the Detroit Lions offense as a rookie because of the knee injury he suffered in college. The pick was, essentially, a future’s bet — one whose odds became a little longer
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They took their lumps, and now they’re ready to take a leap. But what should give you even more hope if you’re a Lions fan heading into this week’s NFL Draft is just how limber Brad Holmes is feeling as general manager. In two-plus years on the job in Detroit, Holmes has completely overhauled the
Free Press sports reporter Dave Birkett takes a position-by-position look at the top prospects and biggest Detroit Lions needs in the 2023 NFL draft. This is the sixth in an eight-part series: The Lions had a long-term need at both the wide receiver and tight end positions before Jameson Williams and two other receivers were suspended
This has been a spring of dreams for Detroit Lions fans, as the team’s late surge last season — 8-2 in their final 10 games following a 1-6 start — and canny free-agent pickups have made the franchise the preseason front-runner in the NFC North. Lions fans are hoping that as the NFL draft gets
Dre Bly measured 5 feet 9½ coming out of college, but the Detroit Lions’ new cornerbacks coach jokes that he’s grown since then. “I think I’m right at 5-10,” Bly said earlier this month. “But most little guys, we say we’re bigger than we actually are.” What Bly lacked in size and speed — he
By this time last year, the Detroit Lions had a pretty good handle on who they would take with the No. 2 pick in the draft. If Aidan Hutchinson went first overall, the Lions were eyeballing Travon Walker. If Walker was gone, the Lions would run to the podium with a card bearing Hutchinson’s name.
Free Press sports reporter Dave Birkett takes a position-by-position look at the top prospects and biggest Detroit Lions needs in the 2023 NFL draft. This is the fifth in an eight-part series. The Detroit Lions spent most of their resources in free agency upgrading a defensive backfield that underwhelmed last season. They signed two new starting cornerbacks in Cam Sutton and Emmanuel
Allen Park — When evaluating college prospects, there are three primary buckets general managers must weigh: College production, intangibles and physical traits. The Lions put a heavy emphasis on the first two. They want players who have proven it on the field, but also have the intrinsic drive to constantly improve, one of the key
Allen Park — As the NFL continues to devalue the position, it’s been five years since a team has selected a running back in the first 20 picks of the draft. Following the New York Giants taking Saquon Barkley with the No. 2 choice in 2018, there have been just four running backs who have
The Carolina Panthers appear to have zeroed in on their choice with the No. 1 pick in this week’s NFL draft, but the rest of the first round remains murky I gave Texas Tech pass rusher Tyree Wilson to the Detroit Lions in two of my previous three mocks (while the fourth explored trade-down scenarios),
Projecting what the Detroit Lions do in the 2023 NFL draft is always a crapshoot. But this is one of my favorite exercises of the year — playing out different scenarios for the Lions, and making educated guess on how their decision on their first pick of the draft might impact their other selections. Lions
Free Press sports reporter Dave Birkett takes a position-by-position look at the top prospects and biggest Detroit Lions needs in the 2023 NFL draft. This is the fourth in an eight-part series. The Lions took fliers on two linebackers in the sixth round of last year’s draft, and both ended up being key contributors on defense:
The way Daniel Jeremiah sees it, the best-case scenario for the Detroit Lions in next week’s NFL draft is one that seems increasingly unlikely to happen. Jeremiah said in a conference call Thursday the Lions should be rooting for four quarterbacks to go in the first five picks. “If that happens, you’re going to get
The NFL suspended Jameson Williams on Friday for something legal in 26 states and Canada. Williams, the Lions’ precocious second-year receiver, was banned six games for placing online bets on non-NFL games from an NFL facility in a probe that also snared three of his Detroit Lions teammates. Stanley Berryhill was suspended six games for
The NFL specializes in hypocrisy. Two years ago, the league partnered with DraftKings, FanDuel and Caesars Entertainment to promote … gambling. Yet the league forbids its players to open their FanDuel or DraftKings apps while they’re on franchise property and place bets. Not just bets on NFL teams — that’s understandable, obviously — but on
Over the next several days, leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft, we’re taking a position-by-position look at the Detroit Lions’ roster and evaluating how the team might address each unit. Today: Offensive line. 
Current roster: Taylor Decker, Penei Sewell, Jonah Jackson, Frank Ragnow, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Graham Glasgow, Matt Nelson, Obinna Eze, Darrin Paulo, Ross Pierschbacher,
Current roster: Taylor Decker, Penei Sewell, Jonah Jackson, Frank Ragnow, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Graham Glasgow, Matt Nelson, Obinna Eze, Darrin Paulo, Ross Pierschbacher,Somewhere in the sweet hereafter, probably on the 50-yard line at Tiger Stadium against the Packers, Alex Karras is laughing right now. Because of course it would be his team, the Detroit Lions, who got pinched the hardest by the NFL’s hypocritical hand Friday, when the league announced it suspended star receiver Jameson Williams, three
Detroit — The Lions just lost their prized young receiver, Jameson Williams, for nearly half a season. GM Brad Holmes just lost a little luster off his drafting acumen. And the team just took a hit to its well-groomed culture reputation, with four of its players suspended by the NFL for violating gambling policies. But
Free Press sports reporter Dave Birkett takes a position-by-position look at the top prospects and biggest Detroit Lions needs in the 2023 NFL draft. This is the third in an eight-part series: Jared Goff changed the narrative about the Lions’ quarterback position, and his future as its caretaker, with a strong season in 2022. After struggling
News of four Detroit Lions suspended by the NFL for violating the league’s policy on gambling reminds football fans of a similar circumstance, involving the same team, exactly 60 years ago. While sports gambling is legal in many more states nowadays, including Michigan, and the NFL has not shied away from corporate partnerships with online