According to Sports Illustrated, the Detroit Lions want to trade up in the NFL Draft.
With the 2024 NFL Draft approaching, the rumor mill is in overdrive. Sometimes rumors this close to the draft are completely false. However, the genuine goals of a team occasionally emerge. So keep that in mind when hearing the latest rumor.
Because, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the Detroit Lions have recently considered trading up in the first round.
“Among the teams exploring a trade up are the Detroit Lions, who are sitting at 29,” Breer stated in an email. “After two consecutive years of multiple first-round picks (which brought them Aidan Hutchinson, Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Jack Campbell), the Lions are likely looking for an edge opposite Hutchinson, or perhaps another corner.”
On the surface, this appears to be an entirely realistic situation. Brad Holmes, the Lions’ general manager, has never been hesitant about moving up for a player he likes. In 2022, he traded up from the 32nd to the 12th overall pick to get Jameson Williams. And this year, there appears to be a big decline in talent after the top 20 or so guys.
Last week, Holmes stated that they are open to trading up, but as always, there must be some level of assurance.
“If it’s the player that we want, we’re just going to go and get them,” Holmes told reporters. “There are several boxes that need to be checked. I believe we mentioned it briefly at the end of the season: not everyone can play here. It has to be identified. That player must be labeled as ‘Okay, he’s checked all those boxes. “He’s the right choice and the right fit.”
However, the Lions may face difficulty trading up this year. Unlike past seasons, Detroit is short on draft capital. They only have three picks in the top 150, so they may have to look into 2025 draft picks if they wish to trade up.
Breer identified defensive end and cornerback as potential positional targets. If this is the case, Terrion Arnold and Quinyon Mitchell are the most potential cornerback targets. While the defensive end class isn’t very strong, Dallas Turner, Jared Verse, and Laiatu Latu are all predicted to be among the top 20 picks.
