Lions general manager Brad Holmes has built a championship caliber roster in Detroit with the simple philosophy of draft, develop, re-sign and supplement via free agency.
Holmes has drafted and re-signed the core of this roster including players like right tackle Penei Sewell, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and defensive tackle Alim McNeill. All three of those players were part of Holmes’ first draft class in 2021 and all were re-signed this past season.
Holmes’ next draft class included players like defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, wide receiver Jameson Williams and safety Kerby Joseph, who led the NFL in interceptions (9) this season and earned his first All-Pro nod.
Joseph, a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, is entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract next season.
Asked about Joseph during his end-of-season press conference on Thursday, Holmes seemed very open to the idea of continuing his draft, develop and re-sign philosophy with players who deserve it, and Joseph certainly falls into that description.
“Yeah, I mean, again, that’s on the docket in terms of – to be looked at and discussed,” Holmes said of an extension for Joseph. “We know where he’s at from an eligibility (standpoint). Look, he’s an All-Pro player, I mean, I don’t know how you don’t make the Pro Bowl with nine interceptions, whatever that is, but he’s an All-Pro player and he’s another one that’s gotten better and better, so he’s one that has proven that he’s a Detroit Lion.”
Joseph recorded 83 tackles (58 solo), 12 passes defended, nine interceptions, one tackle for loss and one quarterback hit this season. He earned First-Team All-Pro honors, becoming the first Lions safety to do so since Yale Lary in 1962. He is the NFL’s first safety to record at least four interceptions in each of his first three seasons since Ed Reed in 2002-04.
“He fits our culture,” Holmes said of Joseph. “It’s hard to find ballhawk guys that will tackle like how he does, and I think that’s what makes him unique, so again, we haven’t had any intense dialogue about that yet, but obviously we want to keep the good players here.”
