Getty Rod Wood and Arthur Blank before a Lions-Falcons game.
The Detroit Lions have just over another week to sort out their plans for the 2021 NFL Draft, and a big question that will have to be monitored is whether or not the team wants to trade back when all is said and done.
In the lead up to the draft, there’s been several rumors surface that the Lions could be ready and willing to trade back. But how realistic is that possibility for the team? According to a new piece, it could be very much fact-based.
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A new Bleacher Report piece took a closer look at whether several draft narratives were either fact or fiction, and when it came to the Lions being active team looking to move back, writer Kristopher Knox called the potential for such a move a fact.
He wrote:
“This feels like nothing but fact. The Lions are already leaning into the rebuilding process, having traded Matthew Stafford for a pair of first-round draft picks, a third-rounder and Jared Goff.
While selecting an instant-impact player like Chase or Waddle would certainly make sense, if Detroit can add to its growing cache of draft ammunition, it will probably do so.”
Getting more ammunition seems to be the best possible outcome for the Lions, who are starting off the process of the rebuild by trying to have as many draft swings as possible. That’s probably the best way the team would look to get a quicker turnaround on the field.
Theoretically, the Lions are in a good spot with the seventh pick. They can sit back and see who falls and then auction off the selection or stay put and take a great player. It seems to be a win-win for the team in terms of building their roster for the future.
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NFL Analyst Predicts ‘Wheeling and Dealing’ From Lions
So far, Detroit wanting to trade back has been a theme of plenty of mocks around the internet, but in a new mock, an intriguing theme has emerged about Detroit’s hopes. As NFL Network reporter Peter Schrager hypothesized, the Lions will be open to making some big moves and big trades this season.
Schrager has the Lions trading back with the Arizona Cardinals, who deal up to the number seven slot to take wideout Jaylen Waddle. Detroit trades back to the 16 position and nabs offensive lineman Christian Darrisaw from Virginia Tech.
Schrager wrote:
“The Lions could be a team that trades back not once but multiple times in this draft. With Detroit in re-build mode and with just six draft picks this year, look for GM Brad Holmes to be wheelin’ and dealin’ during the entire three-day exercise. Darrisaw is a former lightly recruited prospect out of prep school who has been magnificent the past few years with the Hokies.”
The takeaway here? While Schrager might be off on who the Lions are targeting, he could be right when it comes to the team wanting to trade back, and perhaps even multiple times. Schrager is in the know in NFL circles, so if he’s reporting that the Lions are open for business, it’s likely the team is open for business heading into the NFL Draft this season.
Rumors have held the Lions could be in-play for an offensive lineman in the first round, so it’s possible the team would consider moving around if they knew they could still pick up the kind of player that they like while maximizing their draft return.
Ideal Lions Draft Trades
The Lions should be able to find a good trade if they want one in the NFL Draft, especially if there is a quarterback on the board. Multiple teams in the teens could decide to come up for either Justin Fields, Trey Lance or Mac Jones depending on who is available that fits their needs. Obviously, the ideal trade for the Lions would be to add a first-round pick in 2022 if possible to go with some middle-round picks either this season or next season as well.
Regardless of what the Lions decide, Brad Holmes showed the ability to make a good decision with the Matthew Stafford trade. He could be expected to work similar magic this time around and get the best possible deal for the Lions.