Taking a closer look at the Lions 2025 draft class and how they fit into the Grit Index.
The Detroit Lions acquired seven new players in the 2025 NFL Draft, bringing in another batch of youth to help strengthen the roster. Some players will immediately challenge for starting roles, while others will compete for situational/reserve roles or roster spots in general, but each of them fits the Lions organization in their own way.
This offseason, we introduced the third evolution of the Grit Index with the hope of being able to contextualize what “Grit” is by aggregating data from NFL Draft analysts, while also acknowledging that the system is based on imperfect and incomplete information.
So, let’s take a look at how the Lions’ seven draft picks scored in the 2025 Grit Index, discuss their tier, and explore if there was anything the current system missed.
Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State: 42.79 (Tier 5)
Reflecting back on Williams’ pre-draft information, we identified tallies for his intelligence and toughness, but most reports didn’t delve deep into his character. In his post-round one press conference, Lions general manager Brad Holmes echoed those two traits while also adding in specific phrases like instincts and versatility.
“I remember his interview at the Combine – he really knocked it out the park with his intelligence and how much he knew about the game,” Holmes said.
One of the things we discussed in our lead-up to the draft was that with all the data collected, we saw some potential flaws in our system regarding a few specific position groups—most notably at nose tackle, which is where Williams is expected to play for most of his NFL career. For example, the average Grit score for a nose tackle was 53.83, and only three nose tackles in the entire draft class reached Tier 3 in this year’s Grit Index.
It’s also possible we were too harsh on Williams in a few areas. When we went back to reexamine his score, we identified a few phrases that used softer language. For example: “always in pursuit mode” is softer than the more common “relentless motor.” But even if we had identified those phrases and included them, Williams would have only moved from Tier 5 up to Tier 4.
At the same time, it’s also possible Williams doesn’t score highly in some of the areas that we’ve targeted. And based on his overall demeanor, a Tier 5 (or 4) is likely an entirely accurate score.
“He’s a good kid, he’s mild-mannered,” Holmes continued. “He doesn’t say a lot, he’s more about his business, but he fits right in not only from the physical qualities, but he’s going to fit in with the other standards that we have around here.”
Tate Ratledge, G, Georgia: 86.3 (Tier 1, 3rd overall)
Ratledge is the primary example of proof of concept for our Grit index. Not only was he one of just 16 players to achieve Tier 1 status, but Ratledge had the third-highest overall score, regardless of position. Here’s an excerpt from our write-up:
Ratledge—who describes himself as a “dirtbag” on the field—would be a fun player to pair with Christian Mahogany, who Lions general manager Brad Holmes called a dirtbag in his opening press conference.
ESPN’s Matt Bowen had this to say about the Georgia right guard’s demeanor: “Ratledge plays angry up front, with a tenacious demeanor displayed on the tape. He’s a culture-setter who could add an old-school feel to an offensive line room.”
Ratledge scored highest on the Grit index in toughness, passion for the game, and leadership while also getting points for his work ethic and dedication. In his post-Day 2 presser, Holmes once again brought up the concept of “versatility” when discussing Ratledge.
“Played through some serious toughness, played through some injury stuff, came back, has played at the top level for a long time,” Holmes said.
“I don’t think enough can be said about that level of football that he’s played in. Tough kid. Great locker room guy. I think you guys are going to enjoy getting to know him. But he’s got a little bit more versatility. He rose more as the process went along because of his versatility that we were able to find out a little bit more about. I thought that he would fit in just like a glove here.”
Isaac TeSlaa, WR, Arkansas: 77.36 (Tier 2, 32nd overall)
TeSlaa was another home run selection for the Grit Index, as he was not only ranked high overall, but he had the second-highest score amongst all wide receivers. He scored highest in our “passion for the game” category but also earned marks for his work ethic, toughness, and dedication.
As a no-star recruit in high school, TeSlaa initially attended Hillsdale College, and in 2022, he played through a broken hand while securing 68 catches for 1,325 yards. Arkansas recognized that toughness, and it earned him the right to level up in competition.
That work ethic stayed with him as he climbed his way up the depth chart and contributed on special teams—something he continued to do even after earning a starting role. The intangibles TeSlaa collected and displayed over his college career showed up during the draft process and helped him get noticed by Holmes.
“He was just being a pest (at the Senior Bowl), and he was just pissing off the DBs and defenders,” Holmes said. “And obviously, it just made me want to completely watch the tape, and you see a guy that’s just big, long, smooth strider, can accelerate, can run. He’s a hands catcher, can play special teams, can block, so (he) can do a lot of things. We’re really excited.”
While TeSlaa still has some skills to develop to be a starter-level NFL wide receiver, Holmes believes the work ethic and intangible traits TeSlaa has displayed will help him overcome the obstacles in front of him.
“He’s got the tools to play outside and win outside,” Holmes continued. “He’s going to have to learn getting off press and all that stuff, just like they all do, but he’s got all the physical tools, and he’s got the intangible makeup to be able to overcome that.”
When reflecting on our Grit Index notes for Frazier, like with Williams, there were a few spots where he was probably not given enough credit based on softer language being used.
The first example comes from Brandon Thorne’s profile of Frazier at Bleacher Report, where he mentions Frazier has the “strength to grind down the bull-rush and penetrators from stunts,” which was not included but maybe should have been. Additionally, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler notes that Frazier “can be a bully when he wants,” which was also excluded because it suggests it happens situationally. But even if we added fringe terms like this, he might have gone up one level (to Tier 3) but probably not any further—similarly to what we saw with Williams.
However, the most challenging obstacle when attempting to identify Frazier’s grit level is the lack of information available. Not only did most pre-draft profiles of Frazier focus solely on gameplay, but those that did include character traits were limited or passive. Even Holmes, who spends time talking about each draft pick, never really addressed Frazier’s intangibles.
What we do know is that Frazier earned positive scores for passion, dedication, and toughness, along with the occasional great quote that leaves us encouraged that there’s more to his character than what was published this offseason.
“(Frazier) had an extra edge. You could see he was different,” Arkansas defensive lineman Eric Gregory said via The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.
Ahmed Hassanein, EDGE, Boise State: 79.35 (Tier 2, 19th overall)
Checking in as a Tier 2 player and just .65 away from breaking the Tier 1 threshold, Hassanein was player No. 19 overall on the Grit Index and another quintessential Holmes draft pick. Passion, work ethic, and football character were off the charts for Hassanein, who has an incredible back story detailing his path to the NFL.
“He’s going to do everything he can, and he’s going to try to make sure that he’s going to maximize every single thing that he’s got in his body,” Holmes said. “He’s going to be very, very coachable; the kid would probably sleep in this facility if he could. That’s kind of what his makeup is, and he just brings a lot of energy. I mean, you saw it at the Combine. He’s a nonstop kid, so his motor reflects what his personality is, and as you guys know, it’s going to fit right in here.”
While Hassanein’s Grit score is impressive, there were a couple of things that held him back from landing near the top of the class. His lack of experience certainly limited him. Even more significant was that the design of our index focused solely on written material that could be aggregated and did not include any input from me or Anthony (who co-created the index). This may have been a mistake as it prevented us from including moments (like from the Combine) that illustrate his passion and intensity:
The addition of this note probably would have been enough to push Hassanein into Tier 1—which is probably where he belongs—and is something we plan to adjust for next year’s index.
Passion, work ethic, and toughness are at the core of everything Jackson does. He is highly regarded by coaches and teammates at Georgia, where they routinely rave about his commitment to the team, football intelligence, and leadership, all of which led to a Tier 2 ranking.
Like TeSlaa, Jackson was a zero-star recruit, but instead of taking a developmental path through a smaller school, he elected to walk on to Georgia (his dream school) and work his way up the depth chart from there. Jackson’s intangibles would help him go on to win a job on special teams, earn a starting role, and be named captain in 2024.
“We’ve always had a liking for Dan Jackson just in terms of being a heady safety and who’s gotten his hands on the football,” Holmes said “And a lot of it is above the neck, but he’s faster than what a lot of people think. He’s been at the Senior Bowl, so he put together a nice little year.”
Lovett’s willingness to compete on special teams—most notably as an NFL starter-level gunner—gets him into Tier 4, but there was very little written about his grit character beyond that.
“Dominic Lovett, obviously, he’s another one that I’ve been a fan of his for a long time, we all have,” Holmes said. “And one thing about him is that, yes, he has speed, he can do a lot of stuff from the slot, but he’s a really good special teams player, so we’re fired up to get him.”
While the Lions opened the draft with a player with a “mild-mannered” player who is a perfect scheme fit, four of the remaining six players they drafted were all Tier 1 or 2 players and all in the top 41 “gritty” prospects in this draft class.
While the Lions targeted many of the traits we’ve identified on the Grit Index, overall, they appear to be looking for gritty players who are intelligent, instinctual, versatile, and adaptable to coaching—which will help guide us for future evolutions of the Grit Index.
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