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Speaker 5: Hey. Alliance fans. Welcome to the Detroit Lions podcast, episode 608. We would say. This is your 2026 Detroit Lions NFL draft primer. Some people say primer. I don't know. I'm just stuck on primer. It's probably wrong, but I don't care. This is official Detroit Lions podcast for Reddit. I am your dashing host, Chris. And with me is the well coiffed, well versed, deeply invested, and deeply researched cohost Jeff the Rizzo. Dude, this is a draft season like none other for you.

Speaker 6: It's been it's been a fun one. It's been a very interesting one for me, and I'm very happy about that. It's, we talked a little bit about off the air beforehand about some of the things that I'm doing just a little different this time. And, I'm enjoying it, and I think it's it's going very well.

Speaker 5: It's great. And and I don't know if anyone else notices it. But if you look at Riz now before the draft compared to a year ago, he looks three to five years younger, which may at our ages is is a lot. But you you are so much happier. Your I am I am like, my heart is exploding. It grew through its half size.

Speaker 6: It is truly insane how much when I look back, how much wasted time I did doing busy work. It really is. I also I I did have a near death experience last like, just before the senior bowl last year, which you know about. Yeah. That that was not fun. That that took a toll, but I'm better now.

Speaker 5: Good. Good. Alright. I'm I'm I'm working on it. I got the bumpers up a smidge. I will do that. We got a the Riz looks phenomenal, and so do I. Now that's Yeah.

Speaker 6: So there you go.

Speaker 5: That's something a little dodgy. If someone's saying I'm looking good, they I Well,

Speaker 6: you you do look good.

Speaker 5: I don't know. I I I I worry about people's ability to, judge people's looks at that point, but whatever. Alright. I I I did I did iron my face this morning, so, hopefully, I do have my best face.

Speaker 6: As long as you're doing not like the that that max thing, like the dude who, like, takes the hammer to his face to, like, make his jaw more chiseled?

Speaker 5: No. No. No. Strictly an iron just to get rid of the ankles out, and then the the clothespins behind it like Homer Simpson. It's what Good.

Speaker 6: It's

Speaker 5: my beauty tips right there. So, anyway, let's talk Detroit Lions, and and not you know, because before we get into moisturizers, let's let's talk about the Lions, man. Got a great show lined up here. We're gonna talk about the Brad Holmes presser, and then we're gonna start talking a bit about the current mock projections for the lions. So let's start with mister Holmes and his presser. It's that season, Riz, where this is the hardest part. Holmes, it's look. When you have lying season and and you just know everybody's lying, you're like, okay. Cool. They're lying. And you kinda will read through it. The added wrinkle here is these guys have always told us the truth, but in a way that we didn't recognize it was the truth. And so it's like, are they lying now? Are they telling the truth? If they're telling the truth, what fucking truth are they telling us? I have no idea with Brad Holmes. And and and to the credit of the Detroit Lions, the ship is locked a lot tighter than it used to be about sharing information, Rizzy.

Speaker 6: I would agree with that a 100%. And, that's that's something that I think all of us in Lions Land are finding out, and there is, it's difficult to ascertain information. I will say, just in general, like, I don't think Brad was being deceptive at all. And I I think and he comes from sort and and he comes from the Rams line, and this is this is where, their GM West Snead, for a long time has been. Yeah. He they don't care what other teams think or are doing. They're worried about themselves. And the lions have very much gotten into that mode this year more than they have in past years. Yeah. See if that changes anything. But I do think that that gives them like like, I don't think Brad was blowing any smoke whatsoever. He didn't say a lot, but he nor should he. But just, you know, I've I've watched a handful of other ones. I watched Nick Caserio, the Texas. I watched the the the Buccaneers guy, yesterday, I think it was. Like, they're they're kinda in the same thing. Like, they're they're dropping things that might be construed as hints of what they might be doing, but, also, they're not really doing that. And I think Brad is is doing that very well, and we just try to have to figure out, like, well, is he does he mean this, or is he saying this to, like, lead us, like and and just just in general, and I know everybody thinks it's like I think that and that I've learned this over the years. The NFL is a lot less engaged in smoke screen and chicanery than what the fans think is happening.

Speaker 5: That's fair.

Speaker 6: A 100%. Now there there are some teams that that do that. The anybody who's who is, from the Bill Polian tree will absolutely engage in that sort of stuff. That's that's what he was all about as a GM. And we're reminded that he took three centers in one draft when he already had an all pro center. So that that's that's my retorts to anything can happen in the draft. It doesn't matter what you've got. When you've got Jeff Saturday and you use a third, a fifth, and a sixth round pick on centers,

Speaker 5: Oh, boy. That's yeah. Okay. Let's, let's let's talk

Speaker 0: about this. Let's talk about

Speaker 5: the, Brad's pressure here. I'm gonna I'm just gonna kinda put some some a couple of prompts out there, some thoughts, and we'll let you react. Okay? And then from there, we'll kinda give you the an opportunity to kinda tell you what, let's do it. Let's reverse this. Let's have you go ahead and expound upon the press conference. Just give a high level overview of what was said, what happened, and I'm gonna walk through some points

Speaker 0: out of it because

Speaker 5: I got I've got a couple things that popped out at me. Okay. And then I got a couple things after that that I'd like to just kinda debate back and forth, if you don't mind.

Speaker 6: You know, honestly, the the most important thing that I took away from it was that he talked about why they didn't have a local protege. And I know that a lot of people don't give a crap about that, but it is kind of a big deal. It's a massive change. And he talked about how they decided that last summer, how it wasn't an effective use of their time. And I he spent a lot of time talking about his time and time management and time devoted towards the draft. That's why he didn't go to the owner's meetings as well. And I don't have an issue with him, and I talked about this in the daily when I reacted to it. I don't have an issue with him with that with, not going to the owner's meetings. They're they're they're well represented. He's not gonna contribute anything there that he can't do for a home.

Speaker 5: It's time to

Speaker 6: own the draft. Missing out on the local pro day. And, it came up in the Slack, and I look. Even if you not wind up not getting anybody out of it, you're you're making a communication. You're you're creating goodwill with agents. You're creating goodwill with college football programs. I know that doesn't mean a whole lot to most people, but it can be important. And I I also think just, you know, I'm there's not a lot of guys that, you know, who would be there who don't qualify for local visits. And just to go back to your earlier point, we're getting a lot less reporting on who the local visits have been this year than we have in the past. The limo drivers and and pool guys are dropping the ball, man. Y'all gotta get better at this stuff.

Speaker 5: Come on, Colin. Come on.

Speaker 6: You know? And but that that like, when you don't have the local pro day, that's why an indoor football dude from Eastern Michigan shows up outside with the cleats running.

Speaker 5: Yeah. Yeah. It's wild.

Speaker 6: Yeah. Like, then, like, I I applaud the dude's, like, you know, go get it, man. The worst they can say is no. And I I don't fault the dude at all for trying.

Speaker 5: Oh, that's a passion.

Speaker 6: Time, like, there's no way the lions can react to that. Otherwise, everybody's going to be doing it. Mhmm. So, like, you can't, like, you can't start that. You just can't. Like, I feel bad for the dude, but if if worse comes to worse, and I think so, he put this in the Slack. Like, if he gets an agent out of it, like, that's that's what an agent is for.

Speaker 0: Yeah.

Speaker 6: I I hope that that that happens for it. But there is I don't know, man. I I think they're I do think they're missing out on that. And by the way, we also don't know if they're having a rookie mini camp. We have gotten all of the other dates, like, behind the scenes of of when they're gonna do OTAs and media availability and and mini camp and all that, we have not gotten anything on a rookie mini camp yet. Now that doesn't mean they're not gonna have it, but, usually, we know when that's gonna be by now so we can schedule these sorts of things.

Speaker 5: Yeah. Now He said, you know, he talks he'd I think about how reinforced missing the the the league meetings was. Right? And It's

Speaker 6: the first thing he talked about.

Speaker 5: Yeah. I mean, it it it reinforces in a way how process driven he is. He's, you know, missing the time, puts him in catch up mode, but he wanted to stay in the draft prep. I think he recognizes just how important the draft is this year. That said, I mean, it could just be about workflow more than pressure. You know what I mean? It's I wouldn't overread it yet, but it's an interesting just kind of thing to pin up and think about as as as things play out here. I I I like it because in the draft, he's as good as he's been in the draft when he when he hasn't been good, he's been, not good. And and so this might be that little bit of homework, that little bit of extra discipline or a sign of the change in his approach that might hopefully, it's in the right direction. Right? That might tweak some of those things out of his process. I mean, every year, he has gotten better at their data. As of last year, it was in place in their database. I know they've tweaked that and worked on that. I'm in I'm interested to see how their internal, you know, workings turn out and their their internal data process. Their scouts are obviously fantastic, and their scouting process and their evaluation process. But the use of data now, I'm interested. I'm they're not using the Copilot commercial saying, give me the guys that are fastest. You know? Like, it's a it's an interesting thing, but, it's far more advanced than that. And I'm really excited to see, you know, what the output is in that space.

Speaker 6: I am too. And one of just to go back to what you said there, like, when he has missed, it's been, like like, colossal. Like, you know, we're talking about Giovanni Manu going into year three, and we don't know if he's gonna make the team.

Speaker 5: Pearl Martin.

Speaker 6: Roger Martin didn't make the team in year three as a guy that they traded up for. It's the those are the ones and it's funny how much they stand out as a sore thumb. Josh Pascal, obviously, with the injuries has has been sort of a problem there. But, like, we because we can cite, like, one specific one from each draft, it feels like. Like, it it does sort of obscure the fact that he has drafted a really damn good team and done a pretty good job of in the draft.

Speaker 5: Where he's gotten from where, baseball batman Quinn was at, it's just incredible. And in the amount of time that he's done it, I I I refer people to year one where

Speaker 0: I

Speaker 5: mean, it it wasn't the best year, but you got the best out of players. And I and and I love this guy, and we I was just talking to him. But Jerry Jacobs, right, got the very, very best out of players like that. And you made this team fun to watch for fans in a way that it wasn't. It was, like, it was such a rebound. Right? And and and, unfortunately, for Holmes, what happens when you get to do that is the expectations get higher and, the pressure gets gets to be more. Right? All he had to do is make it fun when he came in after after Patricia was there because he was not fun at all. And he he he got that in spades. Right? So

Speaker 6: It's so awful, Chris. It was so awful.

Speaker 0: It's so hard to

Speaker 5: I mean, I you know, when Patricia's last year, I was like, I I don't know if I can do

Speaker 6: this anymore, Chris. Fired him soon enough. They really couldn't. And I hate to say that because, again, we we did get to know him a little bit away from the the field and Yeah. Liked him.

Speaker 5: We did. I can see how he got hired

Speaker 6: just

Speaker 5: on his personality alone, which is what the hell. Right?

Speaker 0: Yeah.

Speaker 5: What happened to that man in the in the locker room? Who knows? So, alright. Let's I wanna talk about some of the the the key talking points that he had, the whole kinda good problems thing. Right?

Speaker 6: Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 5: Good problems did a lot of heavy lifting in this in this, press conference.

Speaker 6: We've got too many good players. We can't pay them all.

Speaker 5: So this this kinda it got me thinking. And, you know, I I like to kinda think, you know, walk on the wild side a little bit, but think kinda out of the box when I can. I'm gonna combine some concepts here. You have the idea of, like, a mess door who's gonna be, you know, just a couple years away from social security when he's when he's drafted. And they have, like, Fock who's gonna be just, you know, just got of his baby shoes. Two different things.

Speaker 6: Right? Yep.

Speaker 5: Now if you're drafting and you're drafting a guy who's older, that could be a guy who you want to produce right now. But when he's older, you don't expect him to, but you don't have to sign a second contract either. That's a guy that you say, I've got a four year plan at this position. I'm good. Right? If you're drafting like a Hutchinson, you want him forever. If you're drafting a golf we didn't draft golf. I know that. But drafting that, you want him forever. What we've heard, it sounds like this year, is Jamir Gibbs is one of those core guys that we want forever and we're building around. Right? And it's interesting to do that at that position. Right? That's an interesting way to to build a team. I know quarterback's important, which we're also doing, but running backs across the league are very much plug and play interchangeable at some level. You know what I mean? And and the the depth or the or the gap between the best and the second best is, like, negligible. Right? Yeah. A left tackle. There's somebody you would you and then that's a cheap one when you extend them compared to a quarterback or or like a Jameer Gibbs even. Right? You can kinda you pay them less at that position. You have to make choices on what your second contract and third contract guys are gonna be on your team and what positions they are and how they affect your team. And I again, I love Jamila Gibbs. I love Chad Gibbs. Do I wanna make the running back a core position? I don't know. But here's where you go with, like, the idea of, like, a messador. You could say, I just want them for a while. Right? But do you do that with pick number one? It feels like pick number one is where you point and say, these are the guys. I've got the the the rookie play on the contract. Yeah. Thank you. I can do a lot with that. I got a minimum of five years with this person. Right? Beyond that, I could get a second contract and a third contract. It feels like those are the types of guys that you absolutely are gonna lean into in that first year rather than the older guys. Not that an older guy is bad because I think there's a way to think about how you pick an older guy that you just you're just not gonna sign a second contract. They're like a gap filler or they're there for a short period or it's not one of your core positions you care about. Tell me I'm an idiot, please.

Speaker 6: No. I will say, though, that just Jack Campbell is also in that conversation because he is a premium player at a non premium position, And he's been extended. He could be extended tonight for all we know. Yeah. This is the time where they do get deals done. I believe the history is that they have extended four players in the immediate week before the draft over time. One of them being Aman Ross and Brown. That happened like, we were actually, sched that that was the year that was the draft was in Detroit, and we had a previously scheduled event with him at a USAA function. And he got the extension from, like, the time where we all had to RSVP until we went there, like, the next day. I didn't like him explaining the extension. It was kinda fun. So that could that could very well happen with Jack Campbell. It he's one like, you can't pay him. You can't give him the fifty year option because it's ridiculously prohibitively expensive.

Speaker 5: Right.

Speaker 6: You have to get a deal done with him. If you don't, then he's free agent after the next year, and you don't want that either. So I I would very strongly suspect that they get something done there. And it will be cheaper to get him done than it is to extend than to use the fifth year option. A fifth year option, by the way, is due May 1, for him and Jah. I I don't know where they're at with Gibbs, but it does sound like they're working very hard to get an extension done.

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