Detroit Lions Reportedly Had Interest in Moving Up to Pick No. 13

Rams draft report highlights Detroit Lions potential interest in moving up four spots.

Former Miami Hurricanes defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. is selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at pick No. 15 | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions expressed they had a desire to potentially trade up in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Now that the draft has concluded, reports are surfacing regarding which teams received offers and the level of interest to potentially accept those offers.

It is no secret Lions general manager Brad Holmes likes to land draft prospects that the personnel department deem a fit.

A report has surfaced from The Athletic indicating what offers the Rams received, when it was their turn on the clock at pick No. 13.

As NFL writer Nate Atkins explains, "The trade offers that came the Rams’ way at No. 13 were “soft,” a team source told The Athletic. The Dallas Cowboys traded up to take Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. The Detroit Lions had interest in moving up, a team source said, but the return didn’t excite in a draft that thinned out considerably by Day 3 due to so many college players returning for name, image and likeness compensation."

The Rams eventually ended up with a draft class that only featured five players. It was likely Rams general manager Les Snead was not interested in a trade package that included later-round picks in this year's draft, given the Rams have a deep roster and are among the Super Bowl favorites.

Why less trades for Lions this year in the draft?

Holmes has typically averaged three to four trades each draft. This year, the Lions only made two deals during the three-day span.

“You can always have a plan and say, ‘Well look, we can sit and pick or I think we just stay patient.’ I felt pretty good, for the most part, on Day 3 that we could stay patient, but when we got into the fifth round and the players that we selected there, they’re both there, I was like, ‘We’re going to get both of them.’ So I figured that we didn’t have to make a move up there," said Holmes. "A little bit with Derrick Moore.

"It was close, but just like I told you guys, when the pass-rushers started coming off the board and just kind of seeing who was up behind us. There were smaller, incremental moves, but you’ve just got to react to how the board’s falling.”

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