With their first pick resting at 29th overall going into the draft, the Detroit Lions are in a very different situation in 2024 than they have been in recent years. The Lions’ selection is their lowest of the season and their first outside of the teens since 2017. In addition to being new ground for Lions supporters, Brad Holmes has also never been here before during his time as general manager of the team.
We ought to know what Brad Holmes is expected to accept given how high the Lions have selected in the past few years. The Los Angeles Rams’ final two first-round selections have allowed the Lions to shop around, even if they haven’t selected this late with their own selections. It has only been two years since Brad Holmes moved up for Jameson Williams with the 32nd overall pick the Lions acquired in the Matthew Stafford trade.
That provides us with a blueprint and reveals two things: first, Brad Holmes isn’t scared to switch positions, and second, the Lions are prepared to pay a premium to acquire a guy that they want. That’s great news ahead of the draft because it suggests that the announcement of the new Detroit Lion may not have to wait until 11 p.m. ET for the residents of Detroit.
Conversely, clubs near the top of the second round can use the Lions’ draft position to sneak back into the first round, select a player they like, and acquire the player’s fifth-year option. This was the case with the 2018 trade of Lamar Jackson. That might be crucial for the Lions to acquire some
In the end, I’m always in the trade-down camp. Since the Lions don’t have as much extra draft capital to invest on moves like this, I don’t think I would like to see Holmes move up this year as opposed to previous years. Furthermore, considering how late the Lions selected, there won’t be much of a talent gap between the 29th overall choice and anything in the late teens, for example. Generally speaking, I don’t think it’s worth the money unless the Lions have a certain player in mind who is dropping on draft day.
Having said that, I support the Lions holding their current position of 29 this season or considering offers to move down to the second round of the draft. Naturally, everything depends on
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