Top homegrown duo for the Lions is hard to tab, yet somehow it's also obvious

Since they came aboard as general manager and head coach of the Detroit Lions in 2021, Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell have been fully aligned on what they look for in players. Talk of fit beyond talent is constant from both when it comes to anything that might be done, or is done, to add someone of note to the roster.

With that in mind, the foundation for the Lions' success has been and will continue to be built in the draft. The altered landscape in college football has also created another thing that may scratch a prospect off the Lions' draft board.

As Holmes said early this offseason, in terms of ongoing and upcoming second contract business with the successful draft picks the Lions have had, "these are good problems to have." Indeed, and it's certainly better than having to overpay in free agency to fill needs because of failure in the draft.

Lions' top homegrown duo is difficult to tab, yet it's also obvious

Nick Shook of NFL.com had taken a stab at naming the top-five homegrown duos in the NFL. Homegrown of course means players a team has drafted, so some pairing of Lions was going to be on the list.

At No. 3 is defensive end Aidan Hutchinson.....and running back Jahmyr Gibbs. Shook acknowledged the challenge in picking a pair of Lions.

"Detroit's turnaround has been built on effective draft choices made by general manager Brad Holmes, giving me a number of options to consider for this pairing."

The explanation for choosing Gibbs makes sense, even as Shook almost started a case for Amon-Ra St. Brown.

"The best choices are the most effective producers, though, and while Amon-Ra St. Brown has indisputably compiled an excellent last three seasons statistically, it's impossible to overlook the nearly 2,000 scrimmage yards Gibbs tallied in 2024. Clearly, he has justified Holmes' selection of him, which was criticized in the moment. Those who abide by draft value charts were proven wrong by Gibbs, who occupies a key place in Detroit's offense, even after the departure of coordinator Ben Johnson. Consider the 12th overall selection from 2023 a pick well spent."

In reaction to Shook's choice of the Lions' top homegrown duo, Al Karsten of Pride of Detroit channeled the obvious sentiment.