The Detroit Lions have a few imports that are doing big things for them. Namely, their quarterback, Jared Goff. But what many consider the most talented roster in football was largely constructed through the draft. Built, not bought.
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While the Lions have picked up crucial starters in each of the last five drafts, that first one under general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell in 2021 might still be the most impactful. And it was arguably on Day 3 where they did their best work. They drafted two players in the fourth round who are still starters today.
The only wrinkle is, both USC wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and Purdue linebacker Derrick Barnes thought they would be Detroit’s pick at No. 112 in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. When St. Brown ended up being the selection at No. 112, Barnes was beside himself. Barnes shared his draft-day experience on St. Brown’s podcast this week.
“It’s so crazy though, because it was like, when Detroit called me, I’m staring at the TV. And it was like, with the 112th pick of the NFL Draft—and I’m like, we’re all hugging, me and my family— [but the announcement went] ‘Amon-Ra St. Brown’. I’m like, what the?” Barnes shared.
Barnes probably saw his life flash before his eyes for a second. He thought he was about to be drafted into the NFL in front of his whole family, and the Lions hit him with a pump fake. Unfortunately, he did not realize that Detroit not only had pick No. 112, but also pick No. 113 right after. As Barnes soon learned from his agent, that was the pick they planned to use on him.
“So I call my agent, I’m like, ‘Hey, I thought I was supposed to be picked by Detroit, what just happened?’ He was like, ‘Calm down, they’ve got two picks.’ I thought they changed their mind.(Laughs) I’m like, ‘Damn, they did me like that!?’ I’m sick. Then I see across the screen they got two picks back-to-back, I said alright. We cool now, we cool,” Barnes recalled.
Derrick Barnes was initially HOT when he saw that Amon-Ra was drafted by the Detroit Lions because he thought that pick was supposed to be him.
Little did he know the Lions had back-to-back picks and he was selected right after 🤣 pic.twitter.com/70x2bUJO7c
— St. Brown Podcast (@StBrownPodcast) December 10, 2025
No one said much about it at the time, but that round by itself was a massive coup for the Lions. St. Brown has become a perennial All-Pro at WR who has posted 81 receptions, 976 yards, and nine TDs through 13 games this year.
Barnes, meanwhile, became an everyday starter for Detroit in 2023 and earned a new three-year, $25.5 million extension this offseason. He is top five on the team in tackles (62), TFLs (six), and sacks (4.0) this season.
But that was just the tip of the iceberg for Detroit in that 2021 Draft. They also drafted right tackle Penei Sewell in the first round (two-time First-Team All-Pro) and elite interior defender Alim McNeill in the third round.
And Holmes and Campbell have continued to be top-notch identifiers of NFL talent in the ensuing years. In 2022, they drafted Aidan Hutchinson, Jameson Williams, and Kerby Joseph. 2023 saw them select Jahmyr Gibbs, Jack Campbell, Sam LaPorta, and Brian Branch. In 2024, it was Terrion Arnold they brought into the fray.
The jury is still out on the Lions’ 2025 class, but based on their history, we’d expect at least one to end up a Pro Bowl-caliber starter.
