Will LA Rams miss Brad Holmes/Ray Agnew eye for NFL talent?

When the LA Rams lost both Director of College Scouting Brad Holmes and Director of Pro Personnel Ray Agnew to the Detroit Lions organization, the Rams lost two very talented NFL personnel executives who have had a defining role in building a successful roster each year.

Both Holmes and Agnew had laid the foundation for the Rams’ 2021 NFL Draft efforts. Although their voices were not part of the conversation on draft day(s), their fingerprints were all over the countless hours of work necessary to prepare the organization heading into the 2021 NFL Draft. They will not have contributed to the same prep work for the 2022 NFL Draft.

So we had never really done a system check before. But now that we had had one NFL draft, and witnessed the results, should Rams fans be concerned with the next one on the horizon in just a few weeks?

When I watch the press conference from Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes, it seems to be a rather straightforward matter to see the objective and analytical mind of a solid NFL executive at work. Holmes knows his stuff, and he is not thrown by the questions tossed his way.

Holmes is a positive and focused GM, a solid judge of the data he sees, and more than willing to dig deeper if and when the situation calls for it. For Detroit Lions fans, Holmes will show the full extent of his NFL Draft skillsets this year.

Holmes has first-round picks to work with again this year. Two of them to be exact, and five picks in the first 100. Overall, the Lions have nice selections in their arsenal for the 2022 NFL Draft, subject to change for any trades before or during the draft.  The LA Rams will not make any selection in the 2022 NFL Draft until pick 104, which means that the Lions will have added five very talented rookies before the LA Rams step up to make their first choice.

But the goal is not to make picks first, or more often. The goal is to add tangible talent to the team’s overall roster. Lions GM Brad Holmes knows that very well.