ALLEN PARK, Mich. — There are many things the Lions can do in this NFL Draft. Tons of options. Lots of picks.
There are a couple things they can’t do. They can’t draft Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter, whose off-field issues have sent his stock plummeting. And they can’t draft a quarterback in the first round, not at the risk of contradicting their own plan.
It might sound stubborn, and I’m sure GM Brad Holmes is keeping all minds and lines open. But few teams in the NFL are as defined by the no-drama mentality of their leadership, including Holmes, coach Dan Campbell, special assistant Chris Spielman and the entire coaching staff. The Lions begged their fan base, and their players, to buy into their high-grit, low-ego, fully-collaborative culture. The result was an 8-2 finish to a 9-8 season that has the Lions generating enormous buzz for a non-playoff team.
