Just to be clear, no, the Detroit Lions are not trading the best offensive tackle in the league in Penei Sewell, his rookie line mate Blake Miller, or anyone that's a major part of this young core.
ESPN's Bill Barnwell completely understands that, but as a fun thought exercise in the slow weeks leading up to training camp, he explores which NFL players would be worth at least a first-round pick if they were available for trade.
Of the 155 players Barnwell believes qualifies, seven of them are on the Lions. That ties for the most such players on a team with the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, and the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
Leading the way for the Lions as being worth "Two first-round picks and more" are Sewell and EDGE Aidan Hutchinson. Barnwell views both as "elite players roughly since they've entered the NFL" and in their "prime." Barnwell brings up Sewell's move from right tackle to left, but said, "I don't have many concerns about his game translating over to the blind side."
In the "One first-round pick and more" tier, Barnwell has running back Jahmyr Gibbs and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. Barnwell sees Gibbs as an exception to the notion of RBs not being worth a first-rounder, citing Gibbs' "age, skill set and contract situation." Gibbs may be due for a lot of money, but that's only relative to his position, as Barnwell compared a monster deal for Gibbs as being a similar value to the one WR Jakobi Meyers signed with his extension with the Jacksonville Jaguars in December.
Meanwhile, St. Brown being worth at least one first-rounder is another reminder of how big of a draft steal he was for general manager Brad Holmes. The former fourth-round pick in 2021 is now considered one of the league's best WRs after numerous All-Pro selections in his still-young career.
Rounding things out is the "One first-round pick" tier where quarterback Jared Goff, linebacker Jack Campbell, and Miller reside. Miller was a first-round pick in this year's draft, so that value is understandable. Miller will have the responsibility of protecting Goff, who has continued to put up huge passing numbers during his time in Detroit as a top-ten QB.
Campbell may seem underrated, here, but Barnwell notes that Roquan Smith was traded for a second-rounder, albeit during his first First-Team All-Pro campaign. If that's the standard value for off-ball LBs, even elite ones, then a first-round pick for Campbell seems fair.
Who is hypothetically worth less than a first-rounder?
For Barnwell's honorable mentions, he lists safety Brian Branch, tight end Sam LaPorta, WR Jameson Williams, and defensive tackle Tyleik Williams. He also brought up DT Alim McNeill, but McNeill's contract and his underwhelming return from injury last season left him hesitant to firmly include him.
Branch was on Barnwell's list a year ago as a "one and more" first-round pick player. He may have ended up in the same tier this year had it not been for his ruptured Achilles, suffered late last season, given he's still considered among the league's best safeties when healthy.
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Branch wasn't the only one that saw their value dip, as Barnwell saw fellow safety Kerby Joseph as a "one first-round" player a year ago, following his All-Pro season. However, injuries limited Joseph to just six games in 2025 and his long-term health remains a concern heading into training camp. Cornerback Terrion Arnold was also in that same tier with Joseph a year ago, but his release late last month following his arrest naturally plummeted his value.
Again, this is all a hypothetical and fun thought exercise. Lions aren't expected to trade guys like Hutchinson and St. Brown any time soon, if ever. But in the incredibly slim chance they do, remember that all but one of the current Lions mentioned in Barnwell's article were drafted by the team. Despite missteps like the 2024 class, Holmes and his front office have proven to be elite drafters.
Although, it would probably take well more than two successful first-round picks to recover from the heartbreak of trading away Sewell.
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