NFL Insider Drops Intel: Detroit Lions could be cooking up a major trade in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft
There has been a lot of smoke around the idea of the Lions making a trade in the first round. They’ve been on the phone a lot lately
If there’s one thing we know about Detroit Lions FM Brad Holmes, it’s that this guy likes to trade during the NFL Draft.
27 trades in the draft since taking over in 2021, and if you thought he was done, you’re wrong. The Lions will make trades in the 2026 NFL Draft; the question is simply how many? And will they trade up or down? ESPN’s NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler gave us a potential answer to the second question.
The Lions have been making calls about trading up in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft
“Some teams are watching Detroit (17) as trade-up threat. They’ve been making calls.”
This is not the first time this kind of Intel has dropped about the Lions potentially moving up. Right now, there is a lot of smoke around the idea that there could be a big run on tackles right before the Lions draft at 17, and that there could be some teams looking to trade up to get ahead of the Lions to get their guy. So the Lions might look to also move up to secure their guy.
The thing about all this is that it feels a couple of different ways. First, it feels like there’s some smoke being thrown here. I do not doubt that multiple tackles are going into the first round, but I think some of these players’ agents are working overtime trying to make it look like their clients are going higher than you think, and the Insiders are buying it.
The second thing is that yes, the Lions do need a tackle. But we also know they are a best player available team. It feels like everyone is trying to jam a tackle to the Lions because they know it’s a need after partying with Taylor Decker. Maybe it is what the Lions want.
But they might also want to move up to steal a guy who could fall because of all this expected tackle drafting. Someone like Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, Miami edge Ruben Bain, LSU cornerback Mansoor Dalane, or Penn State guard Vega Ioane. The guy who is personally at the top of my list.
We’re going to see what the Lions do in the first round in a matter of hours. But if they do move up, get ready for the possibility of them giving up a lot to do so. Meaning they could be trading away some picks from next year’s draft.
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