Lions GM Brad Holmes drafts 3 Georgia players, makes history with first pick from Egypt

Brad Holmes had Georgia on his mind during the NFL draft.

The Detroit Lions' general manager chose three Georgia Bulldogs among his seven picks — guard Tate Ratledge, safety Dan Jackson and wide receiver Dominic Lovett.

"Before I got this job, I was living in Atlanta, Georgia for a long time, just scouting the Southeast," Holmes said. "And then when the Rams moved out to LA, just kind of stayed in Atlanta. But obviously, have been to Georgia practices a lot, and been around that program a lot. It's unlike anything else that I've seen live in terms of college practice, in terms of just the intensity.

"(Nick) Saban at Alabama was very similar, but just the intensity, the physicality, the detail, the tempo, the whole thing, the energy. So when you can go through that kind of regimen and you practice like that, you know that they're ready."

Holmes has also picked multiple players from Iowa and Alabama in recent drafts. This year, he went with another blue-chip program, Ohio State, in the first round when he took defensive tackle Tyleik Williams at No. 28.

"I never really go into it thinking we're going to get these Iowa guys or these Georgia guys or these Alabama guys, but it just happened to fall that way, just kind of when you kind of got towards the later part of the draft," Holmes said.

Nearly seven years ago, Ahmed Hassanein moved to the United States to live with his brother, whom he had not seen in a decade. At the time, Hassanein knew nothing about football.

The Boise State defensive end became the first Egyptian drafted by an NFL team when the Lions selected him in the sixth round with the 196th overall pick.

"When I came to America, I'll tell you this: Nobody believed in me," Hassanein said. "My brother was the only one who believed in me, and everybody told me that I'll come back in two weeks. 'You can't even speak English.' And just look where I'm at now. I'm so grateful."

The Lions hope Hassanein can develop and eventually fill their hole at edge rusher opposite Aidan Hutchinson.

"I haven't even reached anything on my top ceiling," he said. "I'm just ready to grow, ready to learn and ready to help the team whatever they need, because they believed in me, and whoever believes in me, that means the world to me, especially (head coach) Dan Campbell. I mean, I'll die for that guy. I'll run through a wall."

Arkansas wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa grew up in Michigan as a Lions fan, and his dream came true when Detroit drafted him with the 70th overall pick that it obtained in a trade with Jacksonville.

"I'm still processing it right now," TeSlaa said. "Obviously, it's been not only a dream to play in the NFL, but to play for my hometown team, the team I've rooted for since I've been a baby, it's just an incredible feeling."

The 6-foot-4 TeSlaa started his career at Division II Hillsdale College in Michigan before playing his final two seasons with the Razorbacks.

"When he came on his Top 30 visit, he had on a Lions jersey," Holmes recalled. "I thought he just did a cheesy move – some fanboy stuff, and I was like, 'Come on, he didn't put a Lions jersey on.' But no, he said, 'No, I've had this since the eighth grade. What better time to wear it than now?"

When Ratledge got a tattoo of lions in 2024, he had no way of knowing he'd end up drafted by the Lions. Detroit moved up in a trade with Denver to take him with the 57th overall pick.

"That kind of came full circle and I didn't even process that until now, but I mean, just a little bit of foreshadowing, I guess," Ratledge said.

Holmes made three trades, bringing his total to 16 in five years as the Lions' GM.

Detroit went from 60th overall to 57th, 102nd to 70th and 182nd to 171st. LSU guard Miles Frazier was the 171st selection. Holmes has traded up 12 times.

Lions staffers in their draft room honored Holmes on the final day by wearing his No. 95 North Carolina A&T jersey.

It was also a nod to Holmes' selection as the school's commencement speaker for its graduation ceremony on May 10. The former defensive tackle will highlight the university's role in his path toward becoming an NFL general manager.