Why Detroit Lions' Brad Holmes is choosy about drafting CBs: 'Good ones are hard to find'
INDIANAPOLIS — By his own admission, Brad Holmes is a bit of a cornerback "snob."
A cornerback crosschecker for more than a decade during his days as a scout with the Los Angeles Rams, Holmes said this week at the NFL combine he has "a lot of appreciation" for the position and a high standard he holds prospects to when it comes to drafting for the Detroit Lions.
"I love corner play," Holmes said. "I just love it. I could watch DB individuals all day every day. It’s poetry in motion. I love DB play. But yeah, we just want to get the right fit."
The Lions have never taken a true outside cornerback in Holmes' three drafts as general manager.
Last year, they spent one of their two second-round picks on slot cornerback/safety Brian Branch, who played a do-it-all role in the Lions secondary as a rookie. In 2022, they drafted another nickel defender in Chase Lucas, who's played primarily on special teams in his two seasons in Detroit. And in 2021, they took hybrid defensive back Ifeatu Melifonwu, who started his NFL career at cornerback but has since converted full-time to safety.
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At outside corner, the Lions have plugged holes with a collection of veteran free agents (Cam Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley), undrafted rookies (Jerry Jacobs, Steven Gilmore) and roster holdovers (Jeff Okudah, Amani Oruwariye) the past three seasons, with mostly uninspiring results.
They've ranked in the bottom third of the NFL in pass defense all three years, and were 30th in yards per pass play allowed (7.15) last season.
Holmes said the lack of draft resources he's used on outside cornerbacks the past three years has been unintentional, and he insists he subscribes to the theory "you can’t have enough corners" in what's become a pass-first league.
"It’s a very hard position to play," he said. "It requires so much not only physical qualities, but intangible qualities to be successful at that position. And yeah, you might have to be a little more selective in acquiring them. When you find a good one, they’re hard to find."
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Just one of the four outside cornerbacks who earned first- or second-team All-Pro honors this season — the New York Jets' Sauce Gardner — was a first-round pick. DaRon Bland, who joined Gardner on the first-team, was a fifth-round choice in 2022, while second-team selections Jaylon Johnson and Charvarius Ward were a second-round pick and undrafted free agent, respectively.
And while that's proof cornerbacks can be developed with the proper nurturing, Holmes said that doesn't mean most are worth the risk.
"They’re not growing on trees," he said. "Although that’s arguably, them and wide receivers, probably the most volumous group, position group in the draft. But that doesn’t mean that they’re all going to be good, especially as high as (you) might have to pick them ... because of their physical qualities. If you get wooed by the physical qualities too much but they don’t have the intangible qualities you can get yourself in trouble."
Purely from a numbers standpoint, there were more cornerbacks (37) drafted last year than players at any other position; receiver was second with 33.
While some teams subscribe to minimum speed or size requirements, new Lions defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend, who played 13 NFL seasons as a cornerback with two different teams, said there are other qualities he finds non-negotiable for in cornerbacks in the draft.
They need to be able to tackle. They can't shy away from contact. They have to be able to play in tight coverage. And they have to have mental toughness.
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Holmes said the intangibles are what he'll be studying, too, as he tries to decide what cornerbacks this year are worth drafting, and at what point in the draft.
The Lions have the 29th pick in the first round this year, in an area that could be a sweet spot for outside corners. NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah has six cornerbacks ranked among his top 35 prospects, including Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell, Missouri's Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and the Alabama duo of Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry.
"It’s confidence," Holmes said. "It’s wiring. Those guys, I know the moneymakers is ball production and that’s first and foremost, but you’ve got to tackle, too. And the more and more as you see, man, when your corners are tackling, that really can define who you are on defense. But yeah, those guys, the really good ones are hard to find."
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
Feeling a draft?
What: 2024 NFL draft.
Where: Detroit.
The schedule: Round 1 — 8 p.m. April 25; Rounds 2-3 — 7 p.m. April 26; Rounds 4-7 — Noon.
TV: ABC, ESPN, NFL Network.
Lions' picks (with overall pick in parentheses): Round 1 — No. 29 (29); Round 2 — No. 29 (61); Round 3 — No. 9 (73), No. 29 (92); Round 5 — No. 29 (163); Round 6 — No. 29 (207); Round 7 — No. 29 (247).
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Why Detroit Lions' Brad Holmes is picky when it comes to drafting CBs
