Three hauls the Lions can realistically get back if they traded down from the 17th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft
Trading down makes the most sense for the Lions if they want to move from 17, we looked at the history of moves from that area
The Detroit Lions have a really ugly gap in their draft picks right now. They go from the 50th pick to the 118th pick, and that is just a lot.
Sure, the Lions could stay at 17, and they either trade down from 50 or look for a big trade up into the third round. But the best way to go about things is a trade down from 17. But what can the Lions get if they were to go that route? Let’s look at the recent past to get a look.
2024: The Vikings give up a lot to move up
In 2024, the Vikings really wanted to move up six spots to get Dallas Turner, so they gave the Jaguars the 23rd pick, the 167th pick, a 2025 third-round pick, and a 2025 4th round pick.
Now, that doesn’t close the gap the Lions have from 50 to 118, but it sure gives them some ammo to move up into the third round if they want to, maybe send that future fourth and more.
This is definitely a lot, and the Vikings probably overpaid, but it’s a good example of what some teams will do to jump a team they feel might take the player they like the most.
2018: Buffalo moves up, and Baltimore wins because of it
The Bills wanted to move up from 22nd to 16th, and they gave the Ravens the 22nd pick and the 65th pick in the third round in exchange for the 16th pick and the 154th pick.
This is probably the ideal situation. The Lions would have to give up a fifth-round pick to do it, but they have two of those right now. That third-round pick more than makes up for it.
2018: Packers give up a lot to move up
The Packers wanted to move up to the 18th pick and gave the Seahawks the 27th, 76th, and 186th picks for the 18th pick and the 248th pick.
This is not bad at all if the Lions wanted to move down to the bottom of the first and grab some extra players. They get an extra sixth-round pick out of it. Still, that middle trade is the best bet for Detroit. Moving too far down into the first is not the move unless you feel very confident your guy will get there.
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