Allen Park — See, that wasn’t so difficult, was it? The Lions desperately needed an offensive tackle and desperately needed an edge rusher, but they’re known to be picky pickers.
Turns out, this time it was easy pickin’. When Brad Holmes strode into the media room Friday night after drafting Michigan edge Derrick Moore in the second round, his smile told the story. The Lions’ needs matched the availability, and Holmes’ jovial mood matched the moment.
“You gonna get on my ass now?” Holmes said, laughing, happy to erase one edgy question, happier to get two players that fit their philosophy. I’d say you could even detect a heavy sigh of relief from the Lions' GM.
Holmes liked Moore so much, he traded up six spots to grab him, just ahead of the Ravens. The night before in the first round, the Lions took Clemson tackle Blake Miller, who fit their profile and should fit quickly into the team’s most important unit.
There’s a difference between a day-one starter and a one-day starter, and Moore and Miller have a good chance to be the former. The Lions finally spent sizable capital for an end opposite Aidan Hutchinson, after several years of plugging projects and prospects. At the end of last season, Al-Quadin Muhammad was manning one spot, and the former Saints sixth-round pick recorded 11 sacks, then headed to Tampa Bay as a free-agent.
The Lions’ pass rush — and defense overall — has been a sore spot, depleted by injuries and unintentional neglect. Holmes hadn’t drafted an edge in the first two rounds since Josh Paschal in 2022. He swears it wasn’t an oversight, but knew it had to be rectified.
“I’m really, really excited, because it’s hard to find those guys,” Holmes said. “I’m not gonna say we’re picky, but we just have a certain type that we like and (Moore) fits the boxes. As many questions as I’ve fielded, we’ve been pretty clear about what the requirements are at that position for us.”
Just like with Miller, Holmes said he’s been monitoring Moore for a while, down the road in Ann Arbor. At 6-4, 255 pounds, Moore is a fierce, physical leader, but it wasn’t until he busted out with 10.5 sacks last season that he gained the coveted edge label.
“He’s another one that has a (low-risk) floor coming in, but he’s getting better and better and better,” Holmes said. “Just like I said with Blake, I don’t see why that’s gonna stop.”
Holmes and Dan Campbell unabashedly crave players with strong work ethic and character. That always eliminates some candidates, right or not. The offensive line was so stable for several years, it didn’t need much help.
But when Taylor Decker, Frank Ragnow, Kevin Zeitler and Graham Glasgow all departed in the past two years, the culture needed work. Penei Sewell, who likely will slide from right tackle to left, is the anchor that makes stability possible. The Lions signed free-agent center Blake Mays and tackle Larry Borom, but Decker’s absence had to be addressed.
In a deep draft, Miller was the fourth tackle taken, 17th overall, and his profile reads like a term paper written for Campbell. He never missed a start in four years at Clemson and said he only missed two practices, one because of a broken wrist. At 6-7, 318 pounds, he’s a powerful run-blocker, an area the Lions wanted to shore up.
“He’s big, he’s tough, he’s smart, he’s a finisher,” Holmes said. “He probably has no idea, but we've been watching Blake for about four years now, and he literally has gotten better every single year. … I'll tell you what, when you think about Blake Miller, you sleep very, very good at night.”
Holmes expected to get another good night of sleep after landing Moore, who was chasing Hutchinson’s UM single-season sack record last year. He finished with 10.5, shy of Hutchinson’s 14, and couldn’t think of a better place to start his pro career.
“I’m definitely excited to be playing next to Hutch,” Moore said. “Hopefully I can learn a lot from him and we can go out and cause a lot of havoc. He can help me, I can help him.”
That’s the benefit of having bookend edge rushers, as Holmes has wearily heard again and again. It remains to be seen if Moore will make an immediate impact, but Lions fans are just relieved to have a shiny new option. And Holmes is ecstatic to quash one nagging narrative.
Well actually, two nagging narratives. By unanimous consent, the Lions’ glaring offseason needs were offensive tackle and edge rusher, and Holmes nailed the main tasks quickly, and didn’t have to settle for scraps.
“I couldn’t be happier,” Holmes said. “We’ve always said we’re gonna take the best player. There were other tackles and other edge rushers that were available, but these were the guys we liked. Derrick and Blake are both coachable. The passion for football is numero uno for us, and that’s where they’re very similar, they both love football.”
For the Lions, that’s a good place to start, at the most important positions to start. They have six later-round picks Saturday, and Holmes never rules out more maneuvering. But with the biggest chores out of the way, he can move without quite as much pressure, and a little better sleep.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Brad Holmes, Lions finally get edgy, leap for Michigan’s Derrick Moore