Detroit Lions mailbag: Is it time to stop drafting long-term projects?

What Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes has done with the team’s roster over the past four years has been nothing short of remarkable. In short order, Holmes has managed to take a roster that was in full-on rebuild mode into arguably the most talented roster in football. There’s a reason Holmes has been named Pro Football Writers of America’s Executive of the Year in back-to-back seasons.

But no NFL general manager is above some criticism. There is no such thing as a flawless decision-maker, and it’s fair to wonder if Holmes’ recent draft choices have been a bit questionable when it comes to one specific strategy: selecting highly-developmental players. In the past two drafts, Holmes…