Lions GM Bob Quinn on the 2020 draft, work-life balance

DETROIT – “The draft went off without a hitch, there were no issues for us,” Bob Quinn said after the final round of the draft. “I’m really excited about what we did this week.”

Quinn seemed at ease after the draft concluded. He seemed happy with his nine selections starting with the 3rd overall pick in Jeff Okudah.

“He has very good length and good speed,” Quinn said of Okudah. “He’s a great tackler, a complete corner in our eyes.”

Quinn then went out and got running back D’Andre Swift at pick #35. A back Quinn hopes will compliment Kerryon Johnson.

“Swift is a different kind of back, shorter, thicker, runs low to the ground,” he said. “He runs in the open field well. He has great playability. He can catch the ball in the backfield.”

After that pick, the Lions filled needs with an edge rusher, a few guards, a wide receiver, another running back and two defensive tackles.

Quinn said he believes the virtual draft went extremely well. The Lions IT Department did an amazing job with his home setup, that includes the Winnebago out front.

Quinn told the media on the last day that he really enjoyed having his kids with him in the draft room, helping him cross off players names on the board in real time.

“They were in here in my office the entire day today,” he said. “They didn’t miss a player. My kids had it right. I’m excited about that. Now, I’m explaining to them how rookie undrafted contracts work. We may have a few little General Managers on our hands.”

Now that Quinn and his staff have worked remotely and done it well, he said he just may consider giving everyone a better work-life balance moving forward.

“You all know how important my family is to me,” Quinn said. “You saw my kids on TV all weekend and I know they got a kick out of that.

It’s hard being a coach in this league, a scout in this league, or a GM in this league. It’s hard when you’re away all the time. If we can figure out a better work-life balance, I will look at it and maybe we can do something for our employees to make life better.”

What’s next? The Lions veterans begin a virtual offseason plan Monday that includes some voluntary classroom sessions. The rookies’ schedules are still up in the air for now. Quinn will continue to work from home until the NFL gives the go-ahead for them to return to the facility.


About the Author:

Jamie anchors sports coverage on Local 4 News Saturdays at 6 & 11 p.m. and Sunday at 6 p.m., in addition to hosting Sports Final Edition.