Hard to find anyone critical of Brad Holmes’ haul

It’s not officially the end of NFL draft season until we have grades.

And yes, we know, draft grades are simply projections on the teams’ projections. We know that making final determinations on how well the Detroit Lions drafted without the benefit of games, or heck, even practices, is a bit premature.

But that won’t stop us from looking at them. And there is plenty to take in. Here are the highlights:

USA TODAY: B

Nate Davis trumpeted one of the main themes of the Lions’ draft class: fixing the secondary, which seemed to be a priority by drafting Terrion Arnold in Round 1 and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. in Round 2. “Alabama’s charismatic Arnold, in particular, should be a great culture fit and beloved figure in Motown based on his reception from the locals Thursday night,” Davis wrote.

NFL.com: B

Chad Reuter handed the Lions a B-plus for Day 1, a B for Day 2 and a B-minus for Day 3. He seemed a bit leery of the Lions’ second fourthround move, trading up for Sione Vaki, the Utah all-purpose player. “Vaki could turn out to be a hammer of a running back and special teamer, but the 32-spot jump to get him cost Detroit its fourth-rounder next year,” according to Reuter.

ESPN: B

What’s NFL draft analysis without the chief evaluator, Mel Kiper Jr.? He likes what the Lions did by addressing the secondary, thought GM Brad Holmes should have gone after a wide receiver on Day 3. “The Lions certainly upgraded at cornerback, but after (LSU defensive lineman Mekhi) Wingo, I don’t see any of their Day 3 players getting a significant opportunity in 2024. Plus, that 2025 third-rounder looms as potentially valuable.”

Bleacher Report: A

The BR NFL scouting department handed the Lions a high mark for their draft class, as the Bleacher Report’s Cory Giddings called Arnold “a complete and well-rounded defender, there isn’t much he can’t do.” And, though there is some head-scratching over their other picks, BR writes: “Given the results from last year’s class, it’s hard to doubt Detroit.”

Pro Football Focus: A

The group with seemingly a number for everything likes a lot of what the Lions did over the weekend. They had Arnold rated at a 90.6 for his run defense and Rakestraw as a 46th-best player on the board (the Lions got him at No. 61 overall). And Detroit final pick, Boston College offensive lineman Christian Mahogany, “allowed just one sack and seven total quarterback pressures from 711 pass-blocking snaps,” making him a steal.

NBC Sports: B

Eric Froton is a big fan of Arnold, especially where the Lions got him, but maybe not as much a fan of Rakestraw, whom Froton called “wiry but short-armed.” Alas, “While I personally might not have taken two corners in a row, especially with Rakestraw’s spindly frame, both picks were solid values and they added two linemen (Wingo, Mahogany) with the potential to contribute in short order.”

Yahoo! Sports: B

Charles McDonald called the Lions’ Day 3 picks “risky,” but ultimately accomplished their biggest goal: getting better at cornerback. And his favorite pick by the Lions was Wingo in the sixth round, because “(h)e checks off so many boxes from technique to production to versatility to age. It’s baffling how he was on the board in the sixth round.”

“The Lions even got a couple sixth-rounders with potential to close out their day. It’s really just the selections in the fourth round (Giovanni Manu, Vaki) that are giving a bit of pause here,”

McDonald said.

CBS Sports: B

Whoa! Why so negative? Chris Trapasso handed the Lions the lowest grade we saw (though on most days, a B-minus in school is not much to complain about). “For as much as I love what the Lions have done over the past three years, especially in the draft, after the back-to-back cornerback picks, I didn’t love what Detroit did in this draft,” Trapasso said.

Fox Sports: B

Definitely hit a rough patch here, as Carmen Vitali calls into question giving up a thirdround pick next year to get Manu, a developmental, though huge, prospect with limited experience. “I appreciate that Holmes again got his guys, consensus big board be damned. The Lions also by far and away won the award for best war-room attire,” Vitali wrote.

The Ringer: A

We wrap up with Danny Kelly assessment, who wrote that Detroit “came into the draft with massive holes in their defensive secondary. They immediately filled those gaps.” Kelly hailed Arnold’s “ball-hawking” ability and thinks he can start as soon as the season starts. He also likes Rakestraw’s “tenacious, physical style.”