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The Detroit Lions are currently pondering whether or not to make a move to deal their seventh pick and move back in the 2021 NFL Draft, and if they were compelled to make such a move, what would it look like?
There’s been no shortage of teams showing interest in the pick as the process pushes to a close, but it’s probably hard for Lions fans to get a good idea of what a trade could look like. With that in mind, NFL Network and Good Morning Football put together some interesting pitches teams could make to the Lions and asked fans to consider what deals they would take.
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Within, the site had potential deals from the New England Patriots, Washington Football Team and Chicago Bears. All had different components and were interesting from a pick and return breakdown.
If pick accumulation for 2021 were the goal, the hypothetical New England deal would net the Lions four selections, including one in 2022. The Washington deal could net the Lions another first-round selection for next year, while the Bears deal would give the Lions a first-round pick this year, next year and defensive lineman Akiem Hicks.
The Bears deal might be best even if it comes with risk given it happens with a division rival. A first-round pick this season, next season and a Pro Bowl player in Hicks could make Detroit instantly better. The Patriots not coughing up a first in their deal lowers the appeal, and the Washington deal at least gives the Lions a first-round selection in the future.
IF the Lions trade the pick, they need to make sure that they get as many selections in return as possible. These deals could be an interesting starting point for thinking about what the terms might look like in a deal.
Lions Occupying Hot Trade Spot
According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, multiple teams including a division rival have been beginning to call around Detroit’s pick, which could be the “hot spot” for a trade in the draft this year. As Pelissero reports, the Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots have been reaching out to spots near the bottom of the top 10 where the Lions are entrenched.
He said:
“The hot spot right now is at the bottom of the top 10, specifically the Lions at seven and the Panthers at eight have been fielding a lot of phone calls. That makes sense because when you look at Carolina at eight and the Broncos at nine, both those teams are threats to potentially take an offensive tackle or maybe even a quarterback, so if you want one of those two positions you may have to get ahead of them. So who is looking to move up? I can tell you the Eagles have made a lot of phone calls although that is Howie Roseman, he calls everybody every year about every pick just to see what it would take. The Vikings have been active working the phones, that would probably be if one of those offensive tackles looks like they’e sliding. This is an interesting one, the Patriots have been calling around in the top 10 and teams taking those calls believe their target would be Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. It would cost the Patriots a lot to move from 15 up to seven or eight, probably something in the region of a second-round draft pick, but that would be a small price to pay if New England sees an opportunity to land a potential franchise quarterback.”
The Lions have been figured to be open for business for a while, and Brad Holmes admitted as much last week in his pre-draft press conference. Detroit will want to try and squeeze as much out as they can in terms of a potential deal, so if the Patriots want to cough up an extra second-round pick this season as well as a first-round pick in 2022, it could be a good framework for a deal.
The Lions might be content to stay put and make a pick no matter who is on the board, but it is refreshing to hear they are taking everyone’s best pitch at this point in time.
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Examining Some Ideal Lions’ 2021 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.
Teams can now step up to make their best offer to the Lions, and they should be prepared to blow the team away if they want to get a deal done. It’s tough to see any of these moves totally passing that test.
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