Detroit Lions and the failure to trade down in first round

While the Detroit Lions selected their guy at the number three overall pick, there are many out there that fault the organization for failing to trade down.

The Detroit Lions held on to the third overall draft pick and selected Ohio State cornerback Jeffrey Okudah to replace the departed Darius Slay. While the selection doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone, the inability to trade down in the first round and still land their guy is what people noticed most.

Grading draft picks is a very fun practice among the media and fans, albeit something that really doesn’t mean anything until the player has stepped on the field. If they haven’t played a single snap during a game yet, how can they really be graded, right? It’s all about perceived value at the spot someone is selected.

Initially, the Lions standing still at three and drafting Okudah was less than thrilling. A little boring and mundane for fans hoping the team would trade down and land additional draft capital in the process. Some even graded the pick – more so, the lack of a trade down – a D-, nearing an F.

Here’s the thing, you need someone to actually trade with you. It was no secret the Lions wanted out of the third pick. They didn’t want to move back too far, but they certainly wanted to gain that additional draft capital while still landing their guy.

The first two picks were no surprise with the Cincinnati Bengals selecting LSU quarterback Joe Burrow and the Washington Redskins selecting Ohio State defensive end Chase Young. Detroit’s target for trading down and still selecting Okudah were with the Miami Dolphins at five and the Los Angeles Chargers at six. But the demand just wasn’t there.

The writing was on the wall that the New York Giants were going with their choice of offensive tackle and those teams knew the Lions weren’t actually going to select a quarterback. The Dolphins found themselves with zero worries about landing Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa at five and the Chargers grabbing Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert at six.

As long as the Chargers were happy with either quarterback, they had no need to move up either. Neither team had any incentive to trade even a single second-, third- or fourth-round pick to the Lions to move up and get their guy. They could sit tight, keep their draft capital and still get a player they want.

That’s why the Lions “failed” to trade down. If the team really didn’t want Okudah or any other impact defender, they sure could have traded further down the draft order. But what the Lions wanted versus how far they were willing to trade down just never fit together.

Missing the need of other teams to trade up, the Lions used the third pick and happily selected the talent they wanted for this football team. And there’s nothing wrong with that, no matter what the draft grades of some media outlets might say.

If you can’t get a deal you like, take the talent and move on. No need to get cute. The Lions came away with a very talented player in the first round that will make an impact on the field this year. Not every team can say the same. So, count the Lions as happy with their first-round pick and how it happened.