Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes continues to suggest the team is happy with their defensive ends.
Last week, free agent defensive end Za’Darius Smith declared that he wants to re-sign with the Detroit Lions , leading many fans to get excited about finally adding to the team’s defensive end room. And while that signing could still very well happen, Lions general manager Brad Holmes made it pretty clear he’s happy with the room as it currently stands.
Speaking with former NFL defensive lineman Chris Long on the “Green Light” podcast, Holmes broke down why he’s happy with the team’s defensive ends . His argument was essentially three-fold.
Aidan Hutchinson looks like himself
Lions star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson had his 2024 season cut shot after breaking his leg last October. Hutchinson, who was on pace to be Defensive Player of the Year, was a full participant in Detroit’s OTA practices earlier this month, and Holmes said he looks like himself.
“Aidan looks great, man,” Holmes told Long. “He’s been out there in OTAs. I didn’t really expect anything else. You never truly, truly know, because you don’t have a crystal ball, but just knowing how that guy’s wired and how he attacks things and how in tune he is with his body, it did not surprise me. He’s out there, he looks explosive, he’s changing direction. I mean, he looks really good, man.”
He’s confident in the rest of his crew
Beyond Hutchinson, Holmes hyped up a trio of players in the defensive end room: veteran Marcus Davenport, Al-Quadin Muhammad, and sixth-round rookie Ahmed Hassanein. Here’s what he said about each:
Marcus Davenport: “He was playing really good football for us before he unfortunately got hurt, man. Hopefully, he gets better luck on his side. He’s been out there, and I’ll say he looks just as good. His body is feeling great, his body looks great, and he had a good summer as well.”
Al-Quadin Muhammad: “(He) logged some good snaps for us, played good football, plays hard. He’s physical, he’ll set edges, and he plays with a lot of effort.”
Ahmed Hassanein: “He’s got some work to do from a developmental standpoint, just like they all do, but he’s not some fish out of water, raw, don’t know what he’s doing out there. When you look at his production, he had the most—in terms of sacks and pressures combined the last two years—he had the most production out of all the edge rushers in that class. It just so happens that he plays with his hair on fire, as well.”
Don’t forget their strength at defensive tackle
Holmes’ final point involved the rest of the defensive line. The Lions general manager argued that a team without a strong interior defensive line doesn’t stand a chance at doing much of anything. And he is confident in the depth and talent at defensive tackle.
“You know as well as anybody, if you’re not good in the middle—I don’t care what you have on the edges, at corner, and safety—if you’re not (strong) in the middle, it’s hard, man. That’s a hard life. So that’s why we were really happy to get (first-round pick) Tyleik (Williams) to really fortify that middle, along with DJ Reader still coming back. We were able to get Levi Onwuzurike back in free agency. And then, while we’re having Alim (McNeill) come back, too, we were able to sign Roy Lopez in free agency. So we feel really good about the middle because if that’s not right, there’s some long days on defense.”
As it pertains to Za’Darius Smith, Holmes didn’t make any comment about his chances to re-sign. Smith was mentioned in passing by Long, but Holmes did not address the situation.