Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes is putting the final preparations together for his sixth NFL Draft after showing through the first five the ability to bring in difference-making talent that has now become the young core of this Lions football team.

Holmes has always trusted his draft board and selected the best available player. He isn't afraid of moving up to get a player or moving back to gain assets.

"Absolutely. Yeah, if it's the right guy," Holmes said last week about trading picks to move up. "You guys know me. I feel like you guys get mad at me sometimes, like I do it too much sometimes. If we have that kind of conviction for a player, absolutely. We're going to go and get him."

Teams typically want to come out of the draft with multiple players who add overall talent and depth to the roster, and if they also fill some needs, the team can take a big leap forward.

With nine picks total this year currently, Holmes will be on the lookout for those impact players.

"I've always said the reason why we always go (for) the 'best player available' approach is because there is only one draft, and the roster's going to change every single year," Holmes said. "Every single year it's going to be new needs, contracts are going to expire, things are going to happen. So, what may not seem as an immediate, 'I need this right now or this year,' that might not be the case for the next year.

"So, that's what's been our approach on that. But you know, there's times where you might – it lines up. Maybe the best player is a perceived need, and it lines up that way. It's lined up like that in the past, but that's not always the case."

Here's a look at where Detroit could still use some depth on the roster:

1. Tackle

Detroit has the luxury of employing All-Pro tackle Penei Sewell, who's not only one of the best tackles in the game, but also has the versatility to play either right or left tackle. That flexibility gives the Lions a unique advantage when potentially looking to add a tackle in this year's draft. They can evaluate the player and not worry if he plays left or right tackle.

Holmes brought in veteran Larry Borom to compete for a starting spot opposite Sewell. Borom has 38 NFL starts under his belt. Both Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell have said this offseason they'd feel comfortable with him starting at right tackle Week 1. Giovanni Manu is heading into a critical third season needing to show development and the ability to compete for a role.

There's room to add more talent, competition and depth to the position. It could be fun to watch a training camp battle for a starting role between a rookie, Borom and Manu.

2. Edge rusher

It just so happens this is one of the deepest edge rusher draft classes in a decade or so according to most draft analysts. So even if Detroit goes a different route with the 17th pick in the first round, there are going to be edge rushers taken well into Day 2 who are expected to come in and have an immediate impact.

Detroit returns All-Pro Aidan Hutchinson fresh off a career-high 14.5 sacks last season. He's a top five edge rusher in the NFL. On the other side, Detroit will look to replace the 11.0 sacks they got from Al-Quadin Muhammad last year after he signed with Tampa Bay in free agency.

The team signed DJ Wonnum to play a key role opposite Hutchinson. Levi Onwuzurike can play the big end in certain packages, and Payton Turner, Tyler Lacy and Ahmed Hassanein will also be competing for roles.

Teams can never have too many productive pass rushers and there's certainly room to add a young rusher or two to the mix to compete for roles opposite Hutchinson.

3. Safety

On paper the Lions look stacked at the position with veterans Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch, Thomas Harper, Christian Izien, Chuck Clark, Avonte Maddox, Loren Strickland and Dan Jackson all under contract.

But how will the knee injury that kept Joseph from playing the last 11 games last season respond to treatment and will it allow him to be available every week and be the same Pro Bowl player we've been accustomed to the last few years? When will Branch return from the torn Achilles he suffered back in December?

How big a need the safety position really is depends on the answer to those key questions. We've seen over the last few years what versatile safeties like Branch, Baltimore's Kyle Hamilton and Seattle's Nick Emmanwori can do for a defense with their ability to play multiple positions and impact the game in multiple ways. Having a player who can play deep safety, play in the box, be a big nickel or line up on the ball as a blitzer gives the defense a lot of versatility. Teams can never have too many of those players.

4. Tight end

This is kind of a sneaky need for Detroit. Not so much for the 2026 season but potentially beyond considering there currently isn't a tight end on the roster signed past the 2026 season.

Holmes and Campbell both talked this offseason about wanting to re-sign Sam LaPorta, a Pro Bowler who is a core piece of the Lions' foundation. LaPorta is coming off a back injury suffered Week 10 that needed surgery and ended his season, but he said he should be ready to go by training camp.

Brock Wright has been a very capable No. 2 the last couple seasons but is entering the final year of his contract. Veteran Tyler Conklin was added in free agency. He has had some productive seasons as a pass catcher, but is on a one-year deal. Zach Horton and Thomas Gordon are also on the roster competing for roles.

Adding another young tight end to the mix to compete with Wright and Conklin for playing time and being a potential future running mate opposite LaPorta long-term makes a lot of sense.

5. Cornerback

There are a lot of question marks surrounding the cornerback position in Detroit behind D.J. Reed. Will Terrion Arnold be the consistent player week in and week out the Lions hoped when they took him in the first round of the 2024 draft? Can Ennis Rakestraw Jr., a second-round pick in 2024 who has played in only eight games his first two seasons because of injury, stay healthy and carve out a role? Is veteran Roger McCreary the starter at nickel entering the season or does that role still need to be figured out after the loss of Amik Robertson in free agency?

Also consider that cornerbacks typically suffer more injuries than any other position on the football field given the skillset they must have from a speed and quickness perspective while also having to tackle 200-to-250 pound ball carriers. Detroit been hit with injuries at a high rate the last couple seasons, so there's no such thing as having too much competition or talent at the position.