Getty SI.com's All Lions' Christian Booher predicted Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions to trade out of the first round of the NFL draft.
If the Detroit Lions make a move from their No. 29 pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, most analysts expect Detroit to move up for a potential missing roster piece. However, SI.com’s All Lions’ Christian Booher proposed the Lions trading back to gain more draft capital and land Florida State defensive tackle Braden Fiske.
In his latest Lions mock draft on March 6, Booher elected to explore the possibility of Detroit trading the No. 29 selection for more picks. In his trade proposal, the Lions landed the No. 43 and 79 selections from the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for No. 29 overall.
This could be viewed as a standard NFL draft trade. However, in this scenario, Booher predicted the Falcons to draft quarterback Bo Nix at No. 29.
“I have the Falcons selecting wide receiver Rome Odunze with the No. 8 overall pick,” Booher wrote. “Seeing their need at quarterback with Oregon’s Bo Nix still on the board, they move back into the first round to acquire Nix with the fifth-year option being in play.”
The media is likely to consider any trade up in the first round for a quarterback a blockbuster.
Then, with their new No. 43 selection, Booher predicted the Lions to select Fiske.
“He had an exceptional run at Western Michigan, then proved that his talent was sustainable in his final collegiate season at Florida State,” Booher wrote. “Fiske has game-wrecker potential on the inside as both a run defender and pass-rusher.
“He’s athletic and can play multiple spots on the interior, making him an appealing addition to Detroit’s front seven.”
How Braden Fiske Could Fit With the Lions
The Lions would likely prefer to land an edge rusher if they are going to address the front seven with their first pick in the 2024 draft. But slotting a young defensive tackle with a lot of potential next to defensive tackle Alim McNeill should be an attractive option for the Lions as well.
Fiske played just one college season in a Power 5 conference. But Booher hyped the athleticism Fiske displayed at the NFL combine.
Standing at 6-foot-4 and 292 pounds, Fiske ran the 40-yard dash in 4.78 seconds. He also completed the 20-yard shuttle in 4.37 seconds and posted 26 reps on the bench press.
Fiske doesn’t have the ideal body type for an NFL defensive tackle. But his traits give him the chance to still have success at the next level.
“Defensive tackle with below-average mass and length who makes up for it with above-average quickness and a constantly revving engine,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote. “Fiske is a hustle rusher who can win quick or late if opponents don’t play with proper hand usage and match his energy.
“He lacks ideal measurables but has a chance to become an impact defender.”
Pro Football Focus ranked Fiske the third-best defensive tackle in the 2024 draft class. PFF also rated Fiske the No. 43 overall prospect.
But that’s hardly the consensus. ESPN’s draft experts ranked Fiske sixth at his position and No. 68 overall. Bleacher Report’s rankings rated Fiske at No. 82 overall.
Could the Falcons Trade Up for QB Bo Nix?
The Lions trading back and landing a prospect such as Fiske with their first pick is entirely dependent on another team trading back up into the first round.
More than likely, such a move will be for a quarterback.
It’s probably just as likely that the Falcons trade up into the top three for a signal caller than it is that they move back into the first round late on Day 1.
Of course, that’s assuming the Falcons don’t solve their quarterback situation prior to the draft. Pundits have connected the Falcons to Kirk Cousins and Russell Wilson in free agency along with Justin Fields in trade rumors.
However, the Falcons aren’t the only team who could potentially trade back into the first round for a quarterback. Lots of teams could be interested in this year’s draft class behind center.
Nix could fall into the second round, but drafting him in the first 32 picks will give teams the fifth-year option on his contract. That has been enticing for teams in the past.
In the past 10 years, the Minnesota Vikings and Baltimore Ravens traded up for the last pick of the first round to select quarterbacks Teddy Bridgewater and Lamar Jackson, respectively.
Depending how free agency and the first round goes, Detroit’s No. 29 overall pick could be an appealing place for a team to move up to for Nix or another signal caller still available. That could give the Lions an intriguing trade back opportunity.