We are just a couple of weeks away from the 2025 NFL Draft, and as each day goes by, the Lions trading up or down from their 28th pick feels more and more like something that's going to happen. 

Lions GM Brad Holmes has not at all been opposed to making draft day trades. Since 2021, he's organized 13 draft day trades. Let's take a look at each of them to see how they worked out for the Lions and their trade partner, and also give a good idea of what trade compensation looks like.

2021

Lions got: 113th pick (Derrick Barnes) and 257th pick (Jermar Jefferson)
Browns got: 153rd pick (Tony Fields) and a 2022 fourth-round pick, and they wound up trading away.

The Lions certainly won that one. They walked out with a solid SAM linebacker who has played pretty well and just got a nice brand new contract last month. Jefferson stuck with the team all the way to this season. He's now a free agent. 

For the Browns, they got four seasons out of Fields, but he was never a starter there. He's with the Rams now. 

2022

Lions got: 12th pick (Jameson Williams) and 46th pick (Josh Paschal)
Vikings got: 32nd pick (Lewis Cine), 34th pick (traded away), and the 66th pick (Brian Asamoah)

The Lions won this one too. Jameson Williams has been a bit of a work in progress, but he is coming off the best season of his career and looks to be a guy who is going to be a big piece of the offense going forward. 

Paschl has been a decent depth player who takes advantage of the chances he's given. He's going to be an important part of the line in 2025 with his versatility to be outside and inside. 

For the Vikings, Cine did not work at all, and he was released ahead of this past season. Spent time with the Bills and Eagles this year. Asamoah has been decent off the bench for the Vikings. He's yet to start there. The pick that they traded to the Packers was used to draft Christian Watson. 

Lions got: 188th pick (Malcolm Rodriguez) and the 237th pick (Chase Lucas)
Eagles got: 181st pick (Kyron Johnson)

Felt like nothing at the time, but the Lions got Rodrigo out of this one, and that guy wound up starting in 2022. He's now an important depth piece in Detroit. 

Johnson played one season for the Eagles. He's currently signed to a futures deal with the Titans. 

2023

Lions got: 12th pick (Jahmyr Gibbs), 34th pick (Sam LaPorta), and the 168th pick (traded away)
Cardinals got: 6th pick (Paris Johnson) and the 81st pick (traded away)

Maybe the biggest trade the Lions have ever made on draft day. They got two Pro Bowlers out of this move. Two guys who are a major part of their offense. 

The Cardinals got a really good starting left tackle out of the deal. Everybody won here. 

Lions got: 45th pick (Brian Branch)
Packers got: 48th pick (traded away) and the 159th pick (Dontayvion Wicks)

It's always going to be insane that Branch slipped to the second round and the Lions made the right move to go up and get him. The Packers made the wrong move by not taking him. Wicks has been a decent depth receiver for Green Bay. 

Lions got: 63rd pick (traded away), 122nd pick (traded away), and the 249th pick (traded away)
Chiefs got: 55th pick (Rashee Rice) and the 194th pick (Keandre Coburn)

The Lions made this move to make moves. You'll see that pan out here in a minute. The Chiefs got their top receiver out of it. 

Lions got: 68th pick (Hendon Hooker) and the 139th pick (traded away)
Broncos got: 63rd pick (Marvin Mims) and the 183rd pick (JL Skinner)

This has never made sense to me from the moment it happened. The Lions had their guy in Jared Goff and if they were going to draft a quarterback, it made sense to draft a younger one with more upside. At this point Hooker is going to have to go into another camp to fight for the QB2 spot again. 

Mims became a two-time All-Pro return man for Denver. Skinner played 14 games there this season after making the 53-man roster for the first time. 

Lions got: 96th pick (Brodric Martin)
Cardinals got: 122nd pick (Jon Gaines), 139th pick (Clayton Tune), and the 168th pick (Owen Pappoe)

This one looks bad now because Holmes moved three picks to go up and get a guy who has not worked out in two seasons and may struggle again in his third year. 

For the Cardinals, Gaines is a depth guard, Tune is the QB2, and Pappoe is a depth linebacker. 

Lions got: 219th pick (Antoine Green) and a 2025 fourth-round pick
Eagles got: D'Andre Swift

Green unfortunately suffered a season-ending injury this past summer when it looked like he might get a shot this year. He's no longer with the Lions. That fourth-round pick got sent right back to the Eagles in 2024. 

Swift spent one year with the Eagles and is now with the Bears.

2024 

Lions got: 24th pick (Terrion Arnold) and a 2025 seventh-round pick
Cowboys got: 29th pick (Tyler Guyton) and the 73rd pick (Cooper Beebe)

Solid trade. The Lions moved up and got a starting cornerback who could be transitioning into a Pro Bowler before you know it. 

The Cowboys got the future of their offensive line with Guyton and Beebe. They've both taken on starting roles already. 

Lions got: 126th pick (Giovanni Manu)
Jets got: 2025 third-round pick

To be determined. Everyone knew this would be a project, and so far there's been growth there and the expectation is that he will be a very good player when his time comes. Until then, we can't really say if the Lions scored here or not. 

Lions got: 132nd pick (Sione Vaki) and 210th pick (Christian Mahogany)
Eagles got: 164th pick (traded away), 201st pick (traded away), and a 2025 fourth-round pick

We've already seen some dividends come from this one. Vaki was in the Pro Bowl conversation for special-teams players all year and and now Mahogany is expected to take on a starting role for the Lions in 2025. 

Lions got: 189th pick (Mekhi Wingo)
Texans got: 205th pick (Jawhar Jordan) and 249th pick (LaDarius Henderson)

The move felt like a steal at the time because Wingo was expected to go earlier. It still can be a steal because Wingo will be back healthy in 2025 and should be a good part of the rotation. 

Both Jordan and Henderson have yet to play a game for the Texans. 

The hometown discount will not be a real thing the Lions can rely on

The Detroit Lions are all about their draft and retain strategy. It's the thing that drives this entire roster right noe and in the future. The Lions want to be very good in the draft and they want to make sure they pay the guys they were very good about picking.  The problem with that […]