Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Offseason events point to Brad Holmes and the Lions having a ton of interest in Alabama again

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Mike Payton | Last updated Jun 23, 2025 11:19 AM ET

If you go into the basement of the Alamo, you'll find Pee Wee Herman's bike. If you go into the basement of Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, you'll find Brad Holmes' bike and a tunnel that goes right to Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

That's because since Holmes took over in 2021, the Lions have drafted Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs, Brian Branch, and Terrion Arnold out of Alabama. This year, they talked to a good number of Alabama guys, but wound up going with Georgia with their big school. They took four players who either just played for Georgia or played for them at some point.

We don't know where the Lions will be picking in the 2026 NFL Draft right now, but we can tell you that after this offseason, they're probably going to be paying a lot of attention to Alabama again. Here's why:

PFF’s #1 Offensive Line in College Football:

Alabama Crimson Tide pic.twitter.com/HCk9T0DKZ3
— PFF College (@PFF_College) June 18, 2025

The Lions had the best offensive line in the NFL last year. Then Kevin Zeitler left for the Titans, and Frank Ragnow retired. Couple that with the fact that Taylor Decker and Graham Glasgow aren't getting any younger, and you see a team that's going to need to be all in on re-doing their offensive line.

The Lions are off to a good start with the Tate Ratledge and Miles Frazier picks, but now we have to see if they're going to be on the lookout for thier left tackle of the future soon, who's going to take over center full time, what positon Giovanni Manu will be playing and so much more. Add all that up, and you can see the Lions taking one of these guys in 2026.

The big one to watch is left tackle Kaydyn Proctor. He is expected to be a top-five pick next season, and while the Lions should not be picking anywhere near there, this is the kind of player you trade up for.

Ideally, everything works out, and the Lions have their guys already on the roster. But I'd keep an eye on that Alabama offensive line this year.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: