PFWA selected Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes NFL Executive of the Year.

At last, the man responsible for theJEFF SEIDEL: reconstruction behind the scenes is being acknowledged for his contributions.

The Pro Football Writers of America announced on Thursday that Brad Holmes, general manager of the Lions, won the NFL Executive of the Year.

The majority of the team that helped the Lions advance to the NFC Championship game this season for the second time in franchise history was acquired by Holmes, who is in his third season as general manager, in collaboration with Lions coach Dan Campbell.

The Lions compete in Levi’s Stadium on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. against the San Francisco 49ers in an attempt to go to the Super Bowl.

JEFF SEIDEL: There’s no question now: Jared Goff will be the Lions’ highly compensated quarterback for a very long time.

This season, Holmes added two crucial players to the Lions offense with the last first-round pick he received in the Matthew Stafford trade in 2021, all the while rejecting long-standing draft beliefs about positional worth.

With his first of two first-round selections, Holmes traded down from No. 6 to No. 12, where he selected running back Jahmyr Gibbs. As part of the deal, the Lions received the No. 34 pick in the draft, which they used to choose tight end Sam LaPorta.

This season, Gibbs amassed 1,261 yards from scrimmage, 945 of which came from rushing. He also scored 11 touchdowns during the regular season and the game-winning 31-yard touchdown in the playoff victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week.

“We give feedback early in the offseason about the roster and the coaching staff gets to speak up of where we’re at, strengths and weaknesses and where we would like to improve on,” Johnson explained. “He listens to everything and looks to tackle the problems head-on. I am aware that he and the head coach are constantly in agreement when it comes to the draft. As a coaching staff member and personnel staff member, when you fall in love with a player, I believe that over the past three years, we have witnessed that he is ready to go out and grab those guys regardless of what the naysayers may say.”

Holmes also selected linebacker Jack Campbell (95 tackles, two sacks this season) with a first-round pick and slot cornerback Brian Branch (74 tackles, three interceptions) with a second-round pick in addition to Gibbs and LaPorta. This season, both players have made significant contributions to defense.

Holmes acquired cornerback Cam Sutton, starting left guard Graham Glasgow, and top tackler Alex Anzalone again in free agency. In addition, the injured C.J. Gardner-Johnson, a safety, and cornerback Emmanuel Moseley were signed by the Lions.