As the Detroit Lions make their Day 3 NFL draft selections, members of the team’s front office will give a nod to general manager Brad Holmes and HBCU culture.
On Saturday, each person in the Lions’ draft room will don Holmes’ No. 95 North Carolina A&T jersey as a gesture for the franchise’s executive delivering the university’s spring commencement speech on May 10. Holmes, a North Carolina A&T alum, played four seasons as a defensive tackle on the Aggies’ defense under former HBCU head coach Bill Hayes.
Holmes is a loyal supporter of North Carolina A&T and HBCUs while serving as the highest-ranking officer in the Lions’ personnel department. He joined Detroit ahead of the 2021 season after stints as a scout and the director of scouting for the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams for nearly 20 years.
The 45-year-old brought his keen eye for identifying talent to the Motor City, leading the charge on revitalizing a franchise that secured its first winning season since 2017 in the 2022 campaign. In four seasons, Holmes has played a key role in Detroit’s front office, hiring Lions head coach Dan Campbell, trading former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Rams for Jared Goff, and securing elite talent in the Lions’ draft classes over the past few years.
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Some of those players include Penei Sewell (2021, 7th overall), Alim McNeill (2021, 72nd overall), Amon-Ra St. Brown (2021, 112th overall), Aidan Hutchinson (2022, 2nd overall), Jameson Williams (2022, 12th overall), Kerby Joseph (2022, 97th overall), Jahmyr Gibbs (2023, 12th overall), Jack Campbell (2023, 18th overall), Sam LaPorta (2023, 34th overall) and Brian Branch (2023, 45th overall).
During Holmes’ tenure in Detroit, the Lions have made two postseason appearances, including a trip to the NFC Conference championship game and the NFC divisional round contest. Holmes received the PFWA NFL Executive of the Year in 2023 for his efforts in assembling a Lions’ roster that was one game away from playing in Super Bowl LVIII.