The Lions hosted Jalen Carter for a pre-draft visit Monday, which could have major ramifications on next week's draft. Will Brad Holmes take a chance on the defensive tackle from Georgia, if he's on the board at No. 6? That is, do they feel good enough about the person to draft the player?
“He came in and did a nice job," Holmes said Thursday of Carter's visit. "Again, it’s always case-by-case. Enjoyed our time with him, he did a nice job. I’ll say, even after we had our visit, I felt better on him.”
Interpret that as you will. It could mean that the Lions feel better about the idea of drafting Carter, whose talent has been weighed down by character concerns. It could also mean that they feel better about where they stand on him, that his visit simply informed them one way or another.
It recalls what Dan Campbell said about the Lions' intel on Carter at the NFL owners meetings last month: “We talked to a teammate of his the other day and, man, he told us some things we didn’t know, that nobody probably would’ve known. It was like, oh, that’s interesting."
Asked if the information was good or bad, Campbell reiterated: "Interesting."
A potential star who could instantly boost the Lions' defense, Carter carries several off-the-field questions. Just last month, the 21-year-old pleaded no contest to charges of reckless driving in connection to an accident that killed one of his teammates and a Georgia staff member in January. He also showed up out of shape to his pro day, where he weighed in 23 pounds heavier than his listed playing weight last season and failed to finish his position drills.
Holmes and Campbell have worked hard to rebuild the Lions' culture the past two years, prioritizing driven, dependable players like first-round picks Penei Sewell and Aidan Hutchinson. The result is a strong locker room and a team on the rise. Drafting Carter would be a potential detour from that path.
"You always want to make sure the culture is upheld," said Holmes. "Me and Dan say all the time, 'These players have to fit here, it's not like we have to chase this player.'"
When it comes to players with 'red flags,' Holmes said it "just depends what those issues are." He also pointed out that the story always goes deeper than the headline, sometimes for the better. In the case of Carter, it's the Lions' job to get to the bottom of who he is and whether he fits the organization.
"Some of the players in the past that I've been a part of that had a headline that didn't look good, then you dove deep and you said, 'Oh, they were really key contributors, and trusted guys in the locker room,'" said Holmes. "It's just a lot of work that's done, and we just do the work."
Should Holmes and Campbell choose to take a potential risk on a player like Carter, they can also rely on the standard they've set in the building to lead him toward success.
"We do feel like we have a good, strong locker room, so if you have a player who has some concerns, there are some guys you can bring in and it's going to be fine," said Holmes. "And there are some guys who you might be like, 'Yeah, I don't know if it's going to work.' It's just case-by-case always.
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