Brad Holmes has made it clear: the Detroit Lions prioritize what they see on tape over flashy athletic testing numbers. During the NFL Draft, Holmes sported a hoodie marked with a slash through the letters “HWS” — height, weight, speed — symbolizing his philosophy. “We’re all about film evaluation,” Holmes said. “That’s the hard part of scouting.”
While Holmes insists measurables don’t drive Detroit’s decisions, some recent picks — like third-round wideout Isaac TeSlaa — suggest there’s still room for elite athletic traits in their war room. TeSlaa wasn’t highly productive in college but tested off the charts at the Combine, earning a 9.97 RAS score. And first-rounders like Jameson Williams and Jahmyr Gibbs were selected largely to boost team speed.
Still, Holmes has rebuilt a once-struggling roster into a contender by trusting what players put on film, even if the data doesn’t always match. For Detroit, the tape tells the real story.
Holmes Sticks to His Guns: Lions Draft Based on Film, Not Flash
