Lions GM Lets Philosophy Slip: “If You’re Not Good in the Middle, It’s Hard”

Brad Holmes explains Detroit’s blueprint for defensive success—starting from the inside out.

If you’ve been wondering why the Detroit Lions have been relatively quiet when it comes to bringing in a big-name edge rusher this offseason, well, wonder no more. General Manager Brad Holmes just let a major piece of his team-building philosophy slip during a recent podcast appearance—and it all comes down to one simple truth:

“If you’re not good in the middle, I mean, I don’t care what you have on the edges and at corner. If you’re not good in the middle, it’s hard.”

Holmes dropped that gem on Chris Long’s Green Light podcast while talking about the Lions’ offseason strategy. And it explains a lot about why Detroit focused heavily on bolstering their interior defensive line instead of going shopping for another flashy edge rusher.

Building From the Guts

So far in 2025, the Lions’ defensive line additions include:

• Tyleik Williams (via the draft)
• Roy Lopez (via free agency)
• Levi Onwuzurike and DJ Reader returning
• And of course, Alim McNeill, coming back from an ACL injury

That’s a lot of muscle up the middle. But Holmes clearly believes that if you own the trenches, you control the game.

But What About the Edge?

Now, that doesn’t mean the edge was ignored entirely. In fact, Holmes feels pretty confident in what they’ve got:

• Aidan Hutchinson is still the man, and according to Holmes, “he looks explosive” and “in tune with his body” at OTAs.
• Marcus Davenport is back on a one-year deal and reportedly looking sharp.
• Al-Quadin Muhammad, who logged solid snaps last season, returns as a physical edge-setter.
• And there’s rookie Ahmed Hassanein, the sixth-rounder who Holmes says had the most sacks and pressures in his class over the last two seasons.

“He’s not some fish out of water,” Holmes noted. “He plays with his hair on fire.”

So while they didn’t make a splashy addition at edge, Detroit’s quietly loaded up on depth and potential.

Trust the Process, Even If It’s Unconventional

There’s a logic here that’s hard to argue with: If your defensive front can control the run, collapse the pocket from the inside, and stay healthy, you don’t need an All-Pro at every edge spot.

Instead of chasing headlines, the Lions built for consistency and match control.

Will it work? That’s still TBD. But if it does, it’ll be because Holmes and the front office stuck to their guts—literally.