Intentionally or not, Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes has prioritized the defensive line in his first two NFL Drafts. In 2021, he nabbed both defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike and nose tackle Alim McNeill on Day 2 of the draft. Just a couple months ago, Holmes doubled up on edge threats, first taking Aidan Hutchinson with the second overall pick and then picking Kentucky’s inspirational defender Josh Paschal just a round later.
In 2020—the year before Holmes took over—the defensive line looked like this:
- Trey Flowers
- Romeo Okwara
- Da’Shawn Hand
- Nick Williams
- Danny Shelton
- John Penisini
Of that group, only Romeo Okwara remains in 2022:
- Romeo Okwara
- Alim McNeill
- Michael Brockers
- Charles Harris
- Levi Onwuzurike
- Aidan Hutchinson
- Josh Paschal
The defensive line certainly needed the overhaul.