Charles McDonald walks back F grade on Lions 2023 draft | The Exempt List
Yahoo Sports NFL writer Charles McDonald admits to former NFL player Marshall Newhouse that he was wrong about Detroit’s recent draft class and they discuss how the Lions success has been built by the NFL Draft. Hear the full conversation on “The Exempt List with Charles McDonald” - part of the “Zero Blitz” podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.
Video Transcript
[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING]
CHARLES MCDONALD: I, the genius, the most powerful brain in the entire planet, gave the Detroit Lions an F for their draft grade last year.
MARSHALL NEWHOUSE: Ooh! You didn't just give them a C or a D! You gave them an F!
CHARLES MCDONALD: No, no, I gave them an F, because we knew the Cardinals wanted to trade down, so I was like, shoot, you should package those picks. You could get yourself a quarterback without blowing future years, because you have this capital right here. And they decided to trade down, and they took Jahmyr Gibbs, Jack Campbell in the first round, and then they took Sam LaPorta and Brian Branch in the second round. And right now, it looks like they have, like, three Pro-Bowl players out of those four.
[LAUGHTER]
MARSHALL NEWHOUSE: Bruh!
CHARLES MCDONALD: Sam LaPorta just had, like, the best rookie tight end season, maybe, we've ever seen. Brian Branch was automatically an impact safety. Jahmyr Gibbs helped change their offense. Jack Campbell struggled a little bit, but, like, shoot, I could not have looked any dumber than I possibly did.
MARSHALL NEWHOUSE: They weren't just mid, man. They hit-- You know, out of those seven picks, eight picks, they hit three home runs, another potential home run, and that's just one year. You know, Brad Holmes, he's getting his due now. Everyone's glazing him up, but, like, deservedly so. Like, he has stacked three straight drafts, and this is how you build sustained success, because, ultimately, you know, the teams that don't draft well are gonna be the ones that have to be the most active in free agency. Your cap situation gets upside down, and you see it compound over years.
But when you can build, you can take advantage of value in these rookie deals, especially at prime positions, that gives you a chance to build a balanced team, a competitive team, and the Lions are here to stay, just on multiple fronts, but specifically on young personnel. They're hitting on guys that they see a fit with, that they can really mold and shape into, you know, the Lions way. We talk about Bill Belichick and the Patriots way. It's just a crass way of just saying, this is who we are looking for with physical and mental traits, and they've been hitting.
CHARLES MCDONALD: I've just pulled up their draft history now, and it's kind of crazy, the players that Brad Holmes has been able to add. So, 2021, his first year there, Penei Sewell was his first pick. Third round, they came back with Alim McNeil, who's been a contributor for them on the defensive line, Amon-Ra St. Brown in the fourth round. Next year, you'll get Aidan Hutchinson, Jameson Williams, who's trying to come into his own as well, and even got someone like Kerby Joseph, who's been a pretty good player for them in the secondary lately. And then, this year, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, Brian Branch. That's a pretty good job at something that's really difficult to do, which is consistently identify talent in the draft. Pretty impressive.