NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah has noticed a pattern regarding the Detroit Lions, and he’s using it to inform what he thinks general manager Brad Holmes may do in April’s draft.

Holmes began his tenure by selecting offensive tackle Penei Sewell (No. 7 overall), defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike (No. 41) and defensive tackle Alim McNeill (No. 72) in 2021. He followed that up the next year by taking pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson (No. 2) and edge defender Josh Paschal (No. 46) to make it five of his first seven top-100 picks spent on the trenches.

Since? Holmes has used just one of his last eight top- 100 selections on a lineman; defensive tackle Brodric Martin, who went No. 96 overall in 2023, is the exception. Holmes has instead focused his attention on other positions, choosing three defensive backs (Terrion Arnold, Brian Branch and Ennis Rakestraw Jr.) a quarterback (Hendon Hooker), a running back (Jahmyr Gibbs), a tight end (Sam La- Porta) and a linebacker (Jack Campbell).

“First of all, they started building it through the foundation with the offensive and defensive line, and finding guys with excellent play temperament,” Jeremiah said of the Lions on Thursday, speaking with reporters on a conference call. “Guys that are finishers, that play with effort and are physical. I think that was kind of the first part of the build, and then after that they went hunting for as many dynamic players as they could find. … It just feels like they combined the physical and the fast really, really well. …

“I think now … you could look at them going back and kind of going the full-circle here (in the 2025 draft). Start big, go fast, and I think you can come back around and then go back to the line of scrimmage again.”

Jeremiah mentioned interior offensive linemen Grey Zabel (North Dakota State) and Donovan Jackson (Ohio State) as options for the Lions at No. 28 overall, especially if they lose right guard Kevin Zeitler in free agency. He put both prospects in the “plug-and-play” category.

“Those are kind of more meat-and-potatoes guys,” Jeremiah said.

The draft analyst, who has been with NFL Network since 2012 and spent six years as a scout across stints with the Baltimore Ravens (2003-06) and Cleveland Browns (2007-08), also put some attention on the defensive line for Detroit’s first-round selection.

Specifically, he discussed Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart and Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr.

“He’s going to be an interesting one; he could go in the top 15; he could go bottom of (Round) 1; he could go top of (Round) 2, there’s a wide range on him,” Jeremiah said of Pearce, who had 55 pressures and 7½ sacks in 2024.