The more time goes by the more I'm starting to feel like since the Detroit Lions roster is about 98% built to win it all, it feels the right move for this team to make at this time would be to trade up and go get your guy.

It's not anything new for the Lions. They did it last year when they went from 29 to 24 to get Terrion Arnold and they did it in 2022 when they traded up from 32 to 12 to get Jameson Williams. The Lions are clearly a "go get your guy" kind of team. So here's me mocking the Lions moving up to get their guy.

Trade

Ok, here it is. I didn't have to move them up too far at all. Just eight picks to get to the 20th pick. Here's the deal we worked out with the Broncos:

Lions get: 20th pick and 197th pick

Broncos get: 28th pick, 102nd pick, and a 2026 fourth-round pick

The Lions do have to give up a fourth next year, but that's not anything they've already done before. Last year they traded two future thirds to move up for guys. 

20th Overall Pick: Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama

Look, I know the thought is going to be “Why is this not an edge rusher?” The answer there is one that Brad Holmes has given multiple times over the years including at the NFL Combine and that’s “We are not a needs-based drafting team. We just get the best football player for us.” 

Campbell is the best player for this team for multiple reasons. He is a tremendous linebacker in coverage, he's very good at stopping the run and he can get after the quarterback. 

It's that versatility on the field that means you can't put Campbell in a box. Sure, he's a linebacker today, but he can be that, and he'll be an edge rusher tomorrow. You just get so much out of this player. 

Trade

Oh, did you think I was done trading? I'm not. I got the 60th pick and the Cardinals called and offered the chance to move down and there weren't really any players that I felt Detroit needed to happen. Here's the deal: 

Lions get: 78th pick and 115th pick

Cardinals get: 60th pick and a 2026 seventh-round pick

78th Overall Pick: Josaiah Stewart, Edge, Michigan

You wanted a true edge, here’s your true edge from just up the road a ways. The Lions have already shown a lot of interest in Stewart according to him. They’ve been calling a lot with a handful of teams. Stewart is also coming out to Detroit for a top-30 visit. 

Stewart had a big year for the Wolverines in 2024. He had 37 pressures and nine sacks. He's also a very solid run-stopper. Stewart helps the Lions build out their edge room even more and he, Hutchinson, and Campbell could cause some problems for quarterbacks. 

115th Overall Pick: Jackson Slater, OL, Sacramento State

The Lions need some guard help and Slater is a low-key baller in this draft. In the past two seasons combined he allowed just 13 pressures and zero sacks. He was one of the best pass-blocking guards in the FCS last year and his 88.2 pass-block grade from PFF would have been one of the higher grades in the FBS too. 

Slater might need a little time to get acclimated to the NFL, but the Lions have that with Graham Glasgow and Christian Mahogany holding down the starting spots. 

130th Overall Pick: Pat Bryant, WR, Illinois

Oh wow, a shocker, I picked Pat Bryant for the Lions again. I honestly don’t think I’ll ever stop because the guy is 100% perfect for the Lions in every way. A big-bodied X-receiver guy who can make the contested catch and wants to block when he needs to block.

196th Overall Pick: Ahmed Hassanein, Edge, Boise State

Hassanein is an intriguing option for the Lions because there could be some versatility there too. He was actually a really good pass rusher on the edge for Boise State last year. He had 62 pressures and 10 sacks there. He’s also a pretty big guy at 272 pounds and you have to wonder if there are some interior effects that Detroit could get from him. 

197th Overall Pick: Willie Lampkin, OL, North Carolina

How about another guard? How about a guard who can also play fullback, tight end, defensive line and probably some other stuff too? Lampkin is a project in the sixth round, but he’s a project who can be position-less and while he’s small, this guy fights his butt off. 

228th Overall Pick: Dante Trader Jr, S, Maryland

With the signing of Avonte Maddox and the thought that he might play safety, I’m not super sure the Lions really need to target that spot at this time. Still, with the second-to-last pick, why not grab a guy who had a down year, but had two really solid years ahead of that? When you’re as good as the Lions are, you can afford to take swings late in the draft. 

244th Overall Pick: Peny Boone, RB, Central Florida

You might be of the opinion that the Lions are all set at running back and that’s not really a far-off thing to think about. But, we can tell you that the Lions have been looking at running backs all offseason and Boone is one of them. 

The Detroit native is coming off a year that was not good for him at all. He dealt with injuries and was behind R.J. Harvey. In 2023, before he hit the transfer portal and clearly went to the wrong team, Boone ran for 1,400 yards and 15 touchdowns for Toledo. 

This feels like an absolute steal for the Lions if they can get that guy from Toledo. Maybe you're looking at David Montgomery's eventual replacement here. For one of the last picks in the draft, why not take a look? 

The Lions showed once again why they take the pre-draft meetings so seriously and why you should too

The 2025 NFL Draft is in the bag, and once again, the Detroit Lions picked players that essentially nobody expected them to pick. That is, unless you were paying attention to the top-30 meetings they had.  These meetings are important to the Lions, and that's shown over time. In 2023, they drafted four players they […]