What Happens If Detroit Lions Trade Down? Mapping Realistic Scenarios

All eyes are on Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes entering the 2026 NFL Draft.

Holmes has taken a lot of pride in drafting the right players for the Lions throughout his tenure, which began in 2021. He's spoken plenty about his desire to draft, develop and retain talent, and has shown commitment to that in the extensions that he has signed players to during his time at the helm.

Now, he has an opportunity to add the stars of the future in the Draft, which begins with the first-round on Thursday. The Lions have the No. 17 overall pick, and there are a variety of different directions they could go.

Trading down

One intriguing possibility would be for the team to trade down from their first pick. While the Lions have their highest pick since the 2023 Draft, they only have one other pick inside the top-100. As a result, trading down could net them an extra pick in that range that they could use to fill some of their voids.

The Lions have a need at two of the more prominent positions, EDGE and offensive tackle. As a result, it would behoove them to not move too far from their pick to ensure they get a player near the top of the board. However, there is value in moving down.

Detroit signed several players to one-year contracts in free agency that could fill these roles in the short term, but in the best interest of longevity for the franchise it would be wise for Holmes to find long-term solutions in the draft.

A team that could contact the Lions is the Eagles, who are reportedly interested in potentially targeting a safety early in the draft.

Trading up

With only two top-100 picks, the Lions may not have the capital in this year's draft to move up from their pick. Obviously, the team could use picks in future years to get them what they desire, but it would limit their capital in future years.

If they were to trade up, it would fit what Holmes has done in the past in terms of being aggressive. Holmes feels strong about certain players, and has shown that he's unafraid to act on the convictions he has on his top prospects.

Realistically, the Lions could take on an additional pick in one of the first three rounds to move down to a later slot in the first-round. It is a deep class of offensive tackles at the top of the board, and as a result there will be options available throughout the entire first-round.

With the overall perceived depth of the positions the Lions have needs at, trading down appears to be more likely than a move up at this point. However, as Holmes has shown in the past, the Lions are always unpredictable and anything could happen on Thursday.

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