Brad Holmes: Lions evaluate based on film, not height, weight and speed

Lions General Manager Brad Holmes wore a sweatshirt reading HWS while in Detroit's draft room, and he said the message was clear: Cross off height. Cross off weight. Cross off speed. Draft players based on how they look on film.

“It's just a line through height, weight, speed," Holmes said of his shirt. "Height, weight, speed, it is the opposite of film evaluation, and we’re all about film evaluation, and that’s the hard part of scouting. Height, weight, speed is easy. Stats are easy. A position listed is easy. But film evaluation is hard to figure out."

Not all of the Lions' picks would seem to fit that philosophy: Holmes called third-round pick Isaac TeSlaa his favorite wide receiver in the draft even though TeSlaa didn't have much production in college but showed great athleticism at the Combine. And some of Holmes' previous first-round picks, including Jameson Williams and Jahmyr Gibbs, were clearly brought to Detroit with an eye on improving the Lions' team speed.

Holmes has rebuilt a Lions roster that was in rough shape when he arrived, and seems to have figured out the film evaluation necessary to bring winning players to Detroit.