2025 NFL Draft

[buddha]

we should know on hooker this preseason because were going to see a ton of him.

manu might be at least another year.  

[RedRamage]

1 hour ago, NYLion said:

He's not even a backup. They brought in Bridgewater for the playoffs because they didn't trust Hooker as backup. It's a miss...

While I agree that Hooker is a miss, I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. Hooker was a high risk, high reward person at a time when many (with notable exceptions) were unsure that Goff was the long term answer. Hooker was potentially first round talent that fell because of injury. We could have easily gotten a franchise-level QB in the 3rd round.

Again, end of the day it's a miss*, but I count it a little different than if we, for example, drafted a RB or DE in the 3rd round and that player never saw more than single digit snaps in a regular season game.

(* It's not out of the realm of possibility that Hooker is a late bloomer and he might end up being a solid player for a third round pick, but the fact that Bridgewater was the primary backup when we needed a backup seems to imply that the Lions aren't comfortable with him. Add in that he's already 27 and there may not be much time left for him to really show that he's a good NFL level player.)

[Motown Bombers]

2 hours ago, Jason_R said:

One other thing that occurs to me about this draft is that Dan Campbell came up through Saints/Sean Payton tree. Their offense was based on an immobile but accurate passer in Drew Brees, who has a lot of similarities to Goff. 

Those Saints teams were always very strong in the interior OL. In their Super Bowl season they had Jonathan Goodwin at center with Jahri Evans and Carl Nicks at guard. All of them had at least one  Pro Bowl season. Later, when Campbell was there, they had Max Unger at center with Andrus Peat and Larry Warford as guards. They also all had  one or more Pro Bowl seasons. 

Goff is just completely helpless when his IOL misses blocks or assignments. Guard was an urgent need. 

I've always said this Lions offense reminds me of the Brees Saints offense. Those Saints teams also ran the ball a lot more than people realize. A their peak, they were top five in rushing and used a two headed running back duo like the Lions in Ingraham and Kamara. The passing game was about efficiency and their big plays didn't come on bombs to the outside, but chunk plays over the middle from crossers and deep in cuts. This Lions offense is also aggressive like the Saints used to be. Now the Lions have potential long term starters in Mahogany, Ratledge, and Sewell with Frazier providing depth. You also have the potential in Manu. Left tackle may need to be addressed sooner rather than later. I wouldn't be surprised if they go tackle next year. 

[RedRamage]

 

[Longgone]

11 hours ago, Jason_R said:

I assume they signed Teddy Bridgewater going into the playoffs last year because they didn't trust Hooker. 

This was another Holmes special, buying low on an injured or otherwise undervalued prospect. Maybe he will develop into something, but just like Martin, it is not a good sign that they had to bring someone in to his position. 

I don’t think it was a matter of not trusting Hooker as much as it was having the opportunity to utilize the availability of Bridgewater and all his experience. It was a win/win, Hooker got to develop all year as backup, and you had Bridgewater available for the playoffs.

[Longgone]

6 hours ago, NYLion said:

He's not even a backup. They brought in Bridgewater for the playoffs because they didn't trust Hooker as backup. It's a miss, the Lions aren't getting the dividends on Hooker unless Goff gets injured long term and Hooker gets them some wins. Holmes first two 3rd round picks were McNeil and Joseph for emphasis. I can even get the Martin trade in a sense because there's some upside for him to be a starter if he panned out, Hooker was never going to be a starter here.

Again, I don’t believe it was a matter of not trusting Hooker. They had the opportunity to add Bridgewater and all his experience for the playoffs and took advantage of it. No brainer and no reflection on Hooker.

[RandyMarsh]

In regards to Hooker I do think it's worth noting that the pick was made before Goff was clearly entrenched as the long term QB. Goff was coming off a great year but many still weren't convinced yet that it wasn't a fluke and even if it wasn't he wasn't signed long term yet either. 

I think the Hooker pick was made as a swing for the fences type pick and possible insurance policy if Goff were to turn back into his old self and/or not sign long term. 

[AlaskanTigersFan]

Lions signed an undrafted CB Gavin Holmes for 3 million.... Sheeeeeeesh. 

Edited yesterday at 03:05 AM by AlaskanTigersFan

[Hongbit]

3 minutes ago, AlaskanTigersFan said:

Lions signed an undrafted CB Gavin Holmes for 3 million.... Sheeeeeeesh. 

That can not be correct. 

[Hongbit]

I guess maybe it can be. I didn’t realize the league minimum has skyrocketed to $830k and set to go over $900k by 2027.  It was $650k in 2020

[Motown Bombers]

It's 3 years $2.975 million but only $85,000 is guaranteed. 

[AlaskanTigersFan]

Seems like a lot to be #4 on the depth chart (if that). 

[MichiganCardinal]

There’s some creative reporting going on by his agent. That’s a very standard UDFA contract. The league standard for an undrafted rookie is a three-year deal, with Exclusive Rights to follow. Recall the Brock Wright drama last year when he signed an offer sheet with the Niners. As opposed to 1st rounders who have four-year deals with a fifth-year team option, or 2nd-7th rounders with four-year deals. The league minimums are $840,000 for the rookie season, $1,005,000 for the second season, and $1,130,000 for the third season.

So the league standard, minimum deal for an undrafted rookie in 2025 is 3 years / $2.97 million. Exactly what he got.

What UDFAs really tend to care more about is that guaranteed money. Since most of them don’t make it to the roster, if they’re a coveted name, they’ll want either a lot of guaranteed money or a real good chance to make the team.

In that sense, $85k isn’t nothing, but it’s also not indicative that they really love a guy. For context, in 2021 (with a different cap and minimums), Brock Wright was guaranteed $50,000 and Jerry Jacobs was guaranteed $3,500. But, last year preseason fan-favorite Isaiah Williams got $245,000 guaranteed, and the center Kingsley Eguakun got $240,000 guaranteed. So it’s not like this Gavin Holmes dude is super highly thought of.

He’s got a shot to make the roster, but probably on special teams, and his contract doesn’t really indicate anything more special than that.

[Jason_R]

10 hours ago, RandyMarsh said:

In regards to Hooker I do think it's worth noting that the pick was made before Goff was clearly entrenched as the long term QB. Goff was coming off a great year but many still weren't convinced yet that it wasn't a fluke and even if it wasn't he wasn't signed long term yet either. 

This is a good point. Still, I assume that if the staff liked what they saw of Hooker in practice and in his limited game action, they would not have felt the need to bring in Bridgewater, though the SF debacle from a few years ago where they lost two QBs probably also contributed to their decision making. 

[4hzglory]

2 hours ago, Jason_R said:

 though the SF debacle from a few years ago where they lost two QBs probably also contributed to their decision making. 

Exactly.  And then, in a playoff game with a team with Super Bowl aspirations, who do you trust more:   a guy who hasn't experienced any real game time, or a seasoned vet, who was also in your offense the year before?  They were only going to activate 1 and the other would be the emergency.  It really makes complete sense without necessarily saying anything about how they feel about Hooker.  The fact that they didn't bring in any significant competition this offseason says more about how they feel about Hooker IMO.

[Jason_R]

https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2025/4/21/24413017/3-ways-nil-changing-detroit-lions-nfl-draft-process

Interesting article about the impact of NIL on Detroit’s draft strategy. Basically, NIL is keeping talented underclassmen in school a bit longer, meaning the past two drafts have not been as deep. 

[1984Echoes]

16 hours ago, RandyMarsh said:

In regards to Hooker I do think it's worth noting that the pick was made before Goff was clearly entrenched as the long term QB. Goff was coming off a great year but many still weren't convinced yet that it wasn't a fluke and even if it wasn't he wasn't signed long term yet either. 

I think the Hooker pick was made as a swing for the fences type pick and possible insurance policy if Goff were to turn back into his old self and/or not sign long term. 

I always felt the reason for drafting Hooker was different:

1) The team, including Holmes and Campbell, said right from the very start that they were fully behind Goff and believed that he was THE Lions QB.

2) That's never changed, and based on that, and knowing where starting QB AAV's were headed:

3) How much do you want to spend on a backup QB? $5 mill per year? $10 mill? More? Two of them, if needed?

4) THAT is a huge reason to take a chance on drafting a QB: not as a threat to Goff, but because of... money.

5) ALSO: they believed they were heading towards Super Bowl contention on an annual basis which means, IMO... the team had BETTER have a quality #2 QB to salvage a season or playoffs if Goff got nicked up for a few games. While Hooker was injured or on his learning curve that meant Teddy Bridgewater.

 

My Summary: The team WANTS Hooker to step into the #2. They WANT him to show himself fully capable as a Bridgewater or a Goff-lite (IIRC, his draft comp was Goff...?). They WANT him on a cheap rookie contract. Or even a cheap second contract, as long as he proves himself worthy.

Holmes took a risk with Hooker that he could get this. He didn't care if Hooker was older, injured, or a career backup to Goff. There was the possibility that Hooker could turn into a Bridgewater or Goff-lite... enough to be a dependable #2 QB on a Super Bowl level team.

He may never get there. He might. they are PUSHING him hard to improve and get to that level.

But THAT's the risky reasons Holmes made that pick.

It had NOTHING to do with Goffs' "perceived" questionable status on this team. They NEVER waivered (Holmes & Campbell) in their support of Goff.

IMO.

[1984Echoes]

PS: If Hooker can't improve...

I'll bet they draft a mid-round QB in next year's draft.

For the same reasons as I outlined above.

[RandyMarsh]

If that is the case then that is a terrible use of an asset. Using a top 75 pick on your projected backup qb(who will be injured the first year anyway) just so you could save a few million a year is complete negligence.

If the Lions were in cap hell then maybe I could get it but they had and were projected to have more cap space then they could spend while Hooker is under contract.

 

Edited yesterday at 05:56 PM by RandyMarsh

[Motown Bombers]

They didn't even save the first year because they still had to sign Bridgewater. 

[KL2]

2 hours ago, Jason_R said:

https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2025/4/21/24413017/3-ways-nil-changing-detroit-lions-nfl-draft-process

Interesting article about the impact of NIL on Detroit’s draft strategy. Basically, NIL is keeping talented underclassmen in school a bit longer, meaning the past two drafts have not been as deep. 

Wouldn't that be worked out after a year?

Year 0: Mix of Juniors and Seniors

Year 1: Seniors and only handful of juniors

Year 2: Seniors which includes all those juniors who would have gone but stayed in Year 1. Then just that cycle from now on instead of the Year 0 cycle. 

So the argument makes sense last year, this year it shouldn't matter as that nil gapped was filled now. 

Ill use the Sabastrian Castro example. He was draft eligible last year and projected day 2 pick. But he came back for NIL money. HE then goes undrafted. Did he get worse? Probably not. He just wasn't that good to begin with. But that was masked and he was drafted after his junior year and then he washed out. Now he just washes out. Not sure washing out and being a higher pick means deeper talent pool. 

Edited yesterday at 06:00 PM by KL2

[1984Echoes]

1 hour ago, RandyMarsh said:

If that is the case then that is a terrible use of an asset. Using a top 75 pick on your projected backup qb ...just so you could save a few million a year...

Not if he becomes a legit #2 QB for his next two years. When everyone who is All-Pro (we have a few of them) comes up for extensions. And not if he ends up as a cheap extension because he has little to no starting experience.

As long as he hits the mark that Holmes and Campbell believe he can hit... #2 QB...

No, it's not a terrible use.

It's a big gamble... but I think Holmes believes in his scouting assessments of players.

I do.

[CMRivdogs]

The Athletic reporting the Falcons were fined $250 thousand and Asst Coach Jeff Ulbrich fined $100 thousand in the Sanders “prank”

Maybe the “kid” needs to work it off.

 

[1984Echoes]

21 minutes ago, CMRivdogs said:

The Athletic reporting the Falcons were fined $250 thousand and Asst Coach Jeff Ulbrich fined $100 thousand in the Sanders “prank”

Maybe the “kid” needs to work it off.

 

They need to do that for each "instance".

Wasn't there at least one other prospect affected? Mason Graham? More than those two?

[MichiganCardinal]

3 hours ago, CMRivdogs said:

The Athletic reporting the Falcons were fined $250 thousand and Asst Coach Jeff Ulbrich fined $100 thousand in the Sanders “prank”

Maybe the “kid” needs to work it off.

 

That’s a lot of lawns to mow.