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It’s trade season for the Detroit Lions, and player for pick or player for player swaps are not the only thing that plays out at this time of year.
Much of the conjecture at this time centers around trades for picks in the draft, and with the Lions, that talk is only going to get more intense given the fact that the team has multiple first-round selections. Many folks believe the Lions should be moving those picks, and a major trade has been proposed for the Detroit offseason.
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In an Insider post at ESPN, Football Outsiders put together a list of the boldest moves every team can make this offseason, and when it came to the Lions, a big trade was the big idea. As explained in the piece, the site believes the Lions need to be deciding to trade the second-overall pick and find a way to add even more selections in the 2022 NFL draft.
As was said, “Detroit is so far away from being a complete team that it would be better off acquiring as many dart throws as possible to fill out the roster with young talent.” For that reason, they believe the Lions should be dealing the second-overall pick for some sort of major haul. The reason? The Lions don’t exactly have a lot of talented players across the roster now.
Specifically, the piece says that even if the Lions cannot get a major haul for their pick, they should still look to dump it and try to add more to the pick stable, even if it means trading it for “cheap,” also known as only one first-round pick or a pair of second-round picks.
What Detroit elects to do will remain to be seen, but the suggestion that the team simply dump a top pick for lower ones is not likely to sell with the fanbase.
Brad Holmes Claimed Lions ‘Open for Business’ This Draft
The Lions have dropped few hints so far about their plans for April, but one significant tell could have come directly from Brad Holmes himself. Speaking at the Senior Bowl, Holmes explained that he is open for business as it relates to calls on the team’s top pick this year and will explore every avenue as could be expected.
I spoke at the @seniorbowl with #Lions GM Brad Holmes about taking advantage of this week, Jared Goff’s future and the chances he’ll trade out of the No. 2 pick: “I’m never scared to move around, so we’re definitely open for business, always.” @nflnetwork
“I’m always open for whatever. We’re still in the early stages of it. We’ve got a good feel of the class. We’re in a much better place this stage of the process over last year. We got a lot more work to do. I’m never scared to move around so we’re definitely open for business always,” Holmes told Pelissero at the time.
Hearing that Holmes would deal the pick is not surprising. It makes sense that the Lions would be open, even if it would likely have to blow them away to move on from the second-overall pick. What they would like the return to be remains anyone’s guess.
Lions’ 2022 NFL Draft Primer
With 10 picks in this draft, the Lions have a chance to reshape the future of their team. The Lions will select with the second-overall and 32nd-overall picks in the first-round. In the second-round, they will pick 34th-overall. The third-round will see the Lions with the 66th and 101st-overall picks. After skipping the fourth-round, Detroit will select 176th overall in the fifth-round. The sixth-round sees Detroit with the 180th overall selection. The Lions finish things out with the 217th, 231st and 239th-overall picks in the seventh-round.
Detroit will continue to use the draft as the big way to build their roster.The team’s defense needs playmakers up front to rush the passer along the defensive line, and could also need depth on the back end at cornerback. Offensively, the Lions have a major need for a big time pass catching wideout to help their down field attack on offense. As always, quarterback is going to be a position to watch near the top of the draft, especially considering the early struggles of Jared Goff with the Lions in 2021.
If the Lions do add more picks, it will likely only help their goal of rebuilding the team. Whether they deal their top selection to do it only remains to be seen.
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Lions Instructed to Dump a Top 2022 Draft Pick ‘for Cheap’