Pride of Detroit
Breaking down the most notable moments from the 2025 NFL Combine media sessions with the defensive linemen.
The Detroit Lions are likely to be active this offseason when it comes to improving their defensive line. As general manager Brad Holmes said during this Tuesday press conference at the NFL Combine, the game is won in the trenches.
“I think I made it pretty clear that the trenches are always going to be a priority for us,” Holmes said. “I just think that’s where the game is won. Dan (Campbell) and I are aligned on that and you just can never really have enough of those guys.”
On Wednesday, the first NFL Combine player media sessions began with the defensive linemen and linebackers. I saddled up to a handful of draft hopefuls to better get to know them on a personal level. Here are the prospects I watched, and the general vibes I got from them.
Green was one of the first press conferences of the morning, and also one of the most notable. During his 20-minute session, he faced well over a dozen questions about rumors surrounding his dismissal from Virginia. Rumors had surfaced of sexual assault allegations both during his high school and college years. Green did not shy away from the topic, answering all of the questions asked of him.
In short, Green unequivocally denied all of the allegations. He did admit that there were two incidents he was accused of. The first, in high school, involved an investigation that was eventually dropped. The second was an anonymous report that resulted in his suspension from Virginia’s football team, but was never investigated. He then chose to enter the transfer portal and eventually landed with Marshall.
Green says of the rumors that have been going around, “It’s just talk online, and it’s only people that don’t really know what happened”
I’m not going to bother to speculate what happened and whether he’s telling the truth. However, after talking to some other reporters who have covered the NFL Combine for years, what’s notable is that Green actually faced the media and answered questions. Almost every prospect with off-field rumors either avoid the NFL Combine media session entirely or shut down questions about it.
When it comes to football, Green spoke a lot about how his wrestling background helped him overcome some of the “undersized” labels he gets (6-foot-3, 251 pounds).
“It definitely helps out a lot. My advice to all the kids in high school is to go wrestle,” Green said. “Not only for the advantages that you get but to also go out there and compete. I kinda felt it was soothing and mentally challenging for me to go out there and compete against guys you’re going one-on-one with.”
Green said he did meet with the Lions.
There was a big Michigan contingent of media at Stewart’s media session, so naturally there were a lot of...
