Can Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes prove them all wrong again?
The grades are in for the 2025 NFL Draft classes, and the Lions are near the bottom of the class again. The general consensus around the Lions’ class revolves around two main criticisms: Detroit took too long to address their need at edge defender and they reached for several prospects—most notably their aggressive trade up to take Arkansas wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa at the top of the third round.
Among the 10 2025 NFL Draft grades that I found, the Lions came in 25th or later in six of them. Not a single one of them had the Lions above a ‘B’ grade. And only one ranked them in the top half of the league. In short, it was not a popular draft class among NFL analysts.
However, this is far from the first time Holmes has been criticized for his draft picks. Back in 2023—according to 29 compiled draft grades—the Lions’ class finished 25th out of 32. That class had Jahmyr Gibbs, Jack Campbell, Sam LaPorta, and Brian Branch in it.
This year, they didn’t have the fortune of picking six times in the top 100 like they did that year, but there’s certainly a chance Holmes can make all of these grades look silly in a few years.
Here’s a look at 10 different draft grades, in order of where they ranked by each grader:
Yahoo Sports (Nate Tice, Charles McDonald): B (t-14th)
It was a very “eat your vegetables” draft for the Lions. Four linemen and a big, athletic wide receiver to develop in Isaac TeSlaa. Tyleik Williams and Alim McNeill are going to be an incredibly imposing duo for teams to try and block on the interior and Tate Ratledge gives Detroit a potential starting guard to develop. These guys might not be the sexiest players to add, but this team has consistently shown the value of good trench play and the Lions tried to keep it strong with this draft.
CBS Sports (Chris Trapasso): B (t-17th)
Every Lions draft seemingly gets a giant Dan Campbell stamp of approval every year. Williams in Round 1 was much earlier than I’d pick a run-stuffing nose tackle. The Lions did need more beef up front. Rateledge and Frazier are nasty, athletic guards, and TeSlaa makes the middle of the field even more dangerous when facing the Lions. He’s a big slot with serious vertical juice who catches everything.
Hassanein was a sneaky-good add late because of his burst and bend around the corner. I would’ve liked to see the Lions address defensive end earlier, though — Aidan Hutchinson still needs help!
USA Today (Nate Davis): B (18th)
It’s gotten to a point where GM Brad Holmes and HC Dan Campbell are almost above reproach as it pertains to their roster-building acumen. Did DT Tyleik Williams seem like a bit of a reach at the end of Round 1? Maybe … but you tell Holmes and Campbell they’re wrong. Second-round G Tate Ratledge seems made to order for this culture while patching a hole.
Sports Illustrated (Gilbert Manzano, Matt Verderame): B- (t-22nd)
The Lions didn’t care about value or best player available, and went with their successful formula of adding mean dudes to the trenches. Williams might have been a reach in the first round, but he was regarded as the best run stopper in this class. Ratledge is another physical player, one who could compete for the opening at right guard. Taking TeSlaa on Day 2 was a surprise, but he has the size and athleticism to possibly give Jared Goff another versatile weapon. Once again, the Lions thought outside the box and went away from what the draft boards were saying on the internet.
PFF (whole staff): B- (t-25th)
Click the link for breakdowns on each individual pick. They did not offer overall thoughts on the class.
CBS Sports (Chad Reuter): B (t-26th)
The Lions chose to take the talented Williams over an edge rusher, offensive lineman or receiver in Round 1. Time will tell as to whether they found value in hard-nosed guard Ratledge in Round 2 and receiver TeSlaa in Round 3, with the latter player secured via an unusual trade in which Detroit moved up in the round by shipping Jacksonville a pair of 2026 Day 2 picks, getting a sixth-rounder this year and next year in return.
Associated Press (Rob Maaddi): B- (t-26th)
DT Tyleik Williams (28) is a massive run defender taken higher than expected. G Tate Ratledge will upgrade the run game. Traded up to get WR Isaac TeSlaa (70), who gives Jared Goff a big target in the slot. G Miles Frazier (171) fits offense nicely. Edge Ahmed Hassanein (196) has strong sleeper potential in the sixth round.
ESPN (Mel Kiper Jr.): C+ (t-28th)
The lone edge rusher selected by Detroit was Ahmed Hassanein in Round 6. He’s productive, with 22 sacks, 97 pressures and 33.5 tackles for loss over the past two seasons. He’s just touching the surface of what he can be. It’s just not the splash I was expecting.
Detroit’s most questionable move, though, was trading up from No. 102 to No. 70 to take receiver Isaac TeSlaa. Good player, but he was ranked No. 149 overall on my board. I count 12 receivers ranked above him who were still available — and nine of them still would have been there at the Lions’ original slot. To make the aggressive move up the board, Detroit forked over two 2026 third-rounders.
New York Post (Ryan Dunleavy): C (29th)
Their defensive line depth was ravaged last season, so the Lions added Williams to push the pocket from the interior. TeSlaa felt like a significant reach on a trade up. The Lions know how to draft offensive linemen, and Ratledge could be a Week 1 starter.
Washington Post (Mark Maske): C- (t-last)
Taking defensive tackle Tyleik Williams late in the first round was a bit too soon for him. The Lions did better with second-round guard Tate Ratledge and third-round wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa.
