Getty T.J. Hockenson greets Roger Goodell after being picked by the Lions.
The Detroit Lions have plenty to ponder as it relates to their plans for the impending 2021 NFL Draft, and now that the team will add a quarterback, they at least have some good options to consider.
Detroit can stay put with their seventh pick and select a quarterback they like for the future, or they can draft for defense or even grab a much-needed wide receiver. Potentially, however, they could do something entirely different and deal back in order to add more selections for both now and the future.
In a member mock draft, Matt Miller showed an interesting proposal for the Lions. Instead of making the seventh pick in the draft, the Lions trade back with the Washington Football Team, landing the 19th pick, a third-round selection in 2021 and a 2022 first-round pick.
As a result, Washington gets to pick Justin Fields, while the Lions move back considerably but get a decent haul for the future to do so.
Updated Top 15 picks.
This is just the first in what could be a stream of mocks post-trade that might show the Lions with a significant change in approach. Detroit will add Jared Goff in trade when the new league year begins, and as a result, they might not want to draft a quarterback within the top 10. Plenty could be around then, which means there could be a chance to trade down and acquire even more assets.
With this prediction, that’s what several are beginning to see as possible.
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Why Trading Down Could Benefit Lions
If the Lions were to trade down, it could be another way to help maximize their assets both for 2021 and beyond. The Lions have a ton of pressing needs, so theoretically, the more picks they have for the future the better. If there wasn’t a player they were in love with at pick number seven, the team could take this approach and simply trade back for a haul. Being able to nab a lower pick this year, plus another selection for 2022 would be huge for the Lions and would help them control next year’s draft given what they’re already set to do this offseason.
Lions Have Many 2021 NFL Draft Needs
With the seventh overall pick coming up this spring, the Lions should be wide open when it comes to the 2021 draft thanks to the fact that they’ve addressed a ton of spots on both offense and defense recently within their selections. On offense, the Lions could use another young wideout, and while quarterback might seem to be the slam dunk spot for a pick, the team shouldn’t force anything other than the move and player they like the best at the position. Quarterbacks will likely still be in the mix for the team, but other positions are likely to be in play as well given all the needs the Lions have offensively and defensively.
Adding more to the pick stable might only help the Lions to fill out their needs better in the end, which means a trade down like this could certainly be in play.
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