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With a 24-23 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL Wild Card round, the Detroit Lions secured their first playoff triumph in 32 years. Of the many storylines to arise from the game, one reigns supreme: the journey of the Lions' Executive Vice President and General Manager, Brad Holmes. Holmes was a pivotal figure in building the team that relieved Detroit's playoff woes and set them up for future success.
Many may not know that Holmes is an HBCU product, an alumnus of North Carolina A&T University. The All-Conference defensive tackle in high school committed to and play for the Aggies near the turn of the century. Holmes' apparently turned down offers from local HBCUs in Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M, likely due to his father. His dad, Marvin Holmes, was an offensive lineman at North Carolina A&T and played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Additionally, Holmes had an uncle, Luther Bradley, a first-round pick in 1978 and played defensive back for the Lions.
While at North Carolina A&T, Holmes nearly lost his life in a car accident. He sustained a ruptured diaphragm after the crash, then further suffered from a stroke in the hospital that kept him in a coma for a week, according to a feature from Justin Rogers of The Detroit News. Following three weeks of hospitalization and multiple surgeries, Holmes was discharged from the hospital. Though this right side was paralyzed at first, he was eventually able to walk at the time of his discharge.
Holmes fought for over a year to get back to the football field. From the original accident in December of 1999, Holmes wasn't medically cleared to return until May of 2001. That season, he earned the starting defensive tackle position and team capital designation. With an 8-3 record, the Aggies would win the MEAC and the HBCU National Championship.
“Obviously one of the biggest moments of adversity I've ever faced in my life,” Holmes told The Detroit News in 2021. “It taught me not to take anything for granted. Life is short and can be taken away from you at any moment.
Holmes graduated from North Carolina A&T with a degree in journalism and mass communications. He joined the St. Louis Rams in 2003 as a public relations intern. He later became a scout on all levels, including national, local area, and national Combine. Holmes stayed with the Rams up until 2020. While working in player personnel from 2013 to 2020, the Rams went 64-58, and 25 of their players made the Pro Bowl. Furthermore, the Rams had an Offensive Player of the Year (Todd Gurley) and Defensive Player of the Year (Aaron Donald) over that period. Holmes also helped draft receiver Cooper Kupp and traded for All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
On Jan. 14, 2021, the Detroit Lions named Brad Holmes as their new Executive Vice President and General Manager. Almost immediately into his tenure as GM, Holmes conducted his first blockbuster trade. He sent franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford to his old team, the Rams, in exchange for two future first-round picks, a third-round pick, and quarterback Jared Goff. Although Holmes wasn't with the Rams, he helped build the roster that won Super Bowl 56.
Later that year, he drafted eventual All-Pro and Pro Bowl offensive tackle Penei Sewell with the seventh pick in the draft. He also found a gem in the fourth round: receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, another Pro Bowler in 2022 and All Pro in 2023. Included in that draft were defensive tackles Levi Onwuzuriken and Alim McNeill, cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu, linebacker Derrick Barnes, and undrafted cornerback Jerry Jacobs.
The Lions struggled in 2022, but they landed the second pick in the draft. They selected Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, a stud edge rusher who made in the Pro Bowl in 2023. Detroit had another first round selection, which they used on Alabama receiver Jameson Williams. In the sixth round of that draft, Holmes drafted James Houston IV, an outside linebacker from Jackson State. Though Houston was injured this season, he showed out as a rookie with eight sacks.
Last season, Detroit nearly made the playoffs, but they came up short. Head coach Dan Campbell and the Lions put the NFL on notice when they knocked the Green Bay Packers, a division rival, out of the playoffs on the last game of the year. Holmes and his staff continued their draft success with their 2023 rookie class. Their first pick, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, nearly ran for 1,000 yards in his first season. Detroit also selected middle linebacker Jack Campbell in the first round, but they really hit with their next pick. In the second round, the Lions selected tight end Sam LaPorta. Typically, rookie tight ends have trouble getting adjusted, but not LaPorta. He caught 86 passes for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns. He made the Pro Bowl and was a Second Team All Pro selections.
In the midst of all those draft choices, Holmes also did well signing free agents. He signed linebacker Alex Anzalone and receiver Kalif Raymond. In 2023, they also signed running back David Montgomery, offensive lineman Graham Glasgow, and defensive backs Cam Sutton, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Emmanuel Moseley.
All of those players contributed to the Lions' playoff victory over the Rams. The game was as much of a revenge match for Jared Goff as it was a statement for Brad Holmes. He helped build a Super Bowl-winning roster in L.A., and time will tell if he's done it again in Detroit.
