Brad Holmes knows that talent is not what makes the biggest difference in players’ success.

Listen to Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes, and head coach Dan Campbell for that matter, talk about the possibility of adding a player and they’ll use some iteration of the phrase “fits us” a lot. As in, said player has to “fit us” and they are talking about more than sheer talent.

During his memorable season-ending press conference when the 2023 season was over, Holmes made it very clear where he places talent on the player evaluation spectrum.

“We have to get past just looking for the most talented player,” Holmes said.” In my opinion, that’s the prerequisite of evaluation. That’s the – who’s the fastest? Who’s the strongest? Who’s got the most height? That’s a very coherent thing to do. No, it’s how do you find the right intangibles in a football player? And that’s what’s made us who we are.”

The Lions have clearly found a lot of players who fit the intangibles they want. Those players have been the foundation for the team’s progress and success since Holmes and Campbell took over, and many will remain the foundation for the foreseeable future as they “reward their own” with notable contracts.

Brad Holmes reiterates the difference between average and great players

Holmes recently did a lengthy interview with Local 4 News in Detroit at the Lions’ facility. A wide range of topics were discussed, including his thoughts on talent evaluation. We’ve heard the notes of that tune before.

“It’s just the intangibles, the intangible qualities of the players. Talent is easy to identify, it’s easy to find,” Holmes said. “This guy’s big and he’s strong. Okay, I get that, all these other hundreds and thousands are big and strong too. But who has the makeup and drive and determination and competitiveness and passion for the game that we’re looking for?”

“It’s not just about how much talent you have, it’s about how much determination, how you’re gonna face adversity,” Holmes said. “Are you gonna sink down in a hole? Are you gonna just rise to the occasion? And do you have the mental toughness and mental fortitude to do that? Those intangible qualities, that’s what we look for. In my opinion, that’s the separation between being a great player and being just an average player.”

It’s not breaking news that it takes having something extra to be a great player, and those intangibles are what separates the great from the average. Every NFL team looks for those things. But few are like the Lions in terms of knowing what those things look like to them, then finding and getting players who fit that template.

Check out the entire interview with Holmes, about 46 minutes long, below.