Lions were the mystery NFC team that backed out of big draft-day trade, proof that their eventual pick was not the backup plan, but the number one plan all along
The Lions wanted their guy so badly that they tried to trade up for him twice
Just days after the 2026 NFL Draft, we wrote about how the Detroit Lions tried to trade up with the Los Angeles Rams to snag the 13th pick in the draft, and how the Rams turned them down in order to draft Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson.
In that same report, we talked about how Baltimore Ravens GM Eric Decosta talked about how the Ravens had a done deal with an NFC team to trade down from 14. He never named that team, but now a video has come out from the Ravens war room that shows it was indeed the Lions.
The Lions backed out of a trade with the Ravens that would have netted them the 14th pick
So, the Lions would have sent the 17th pick, 118th pick, and a 2027 third-round pick for the 14th pick. Both teams had agreed to the trade, but then the Lions backed out. They actually backed out right after the Rams made their pick. Why? because they knew their man, Blake Miller, would make it to them at 17.
That comes right from Holmes’ mouth. After the first round, Holmes talked about how the Lions thought about trading up for Miller, but that they felt comfortable they’d be able to get him after the Rams took Simpson.
“We talked to teams up—way up—and we just talked about (it) and tried to see if we can be at peace with what the capital is that you’d have to expend. But we definitely explored strongly about trading up.” Holmes said. “Right after LA took the quarterback, I felt pretty good that we might be able to just get Blake.”
If this doesn’t show you that the Lions were all in on Miller, then I don’t know what does. There was some talk about the Lions wanting to trade up for Miami edge rusher Reuben Bain, and that was the guy they wanted. Well, they wanted him; they had the chance. They got right in front of the team that picked him, and they chose to opt out of that spot.
Miller was likely always the Lions’ number one guy on their board, and this shows that they tried to trade up to get him not once, but twice. That’s just the two times that we know of. If I were a Lions fan, I’d feel good knowing that my team went out and got the guy at the top of their board.
Detroit Lions News