The Detroit Lions are lacking in a 3rd round pick for this year's NFL Draft, but they managed to get back a pretty valuable 4th rounder in their trade involving David Montgomery ahead of free agency.
Montgomery, who was sent to the Houston Texans this past week, netted the Lions an additional pick in this year's draft as well as a 7th round pick for the 2027 NFL Draft.
This adds to a pool of decent picks for Detroit in a class where they'll need to be honing in on a tackle, center, edge rusher, and safety, for starters.
Lions' draft picks following Montgomery trade
Here's a full list of the Lions' picks for 2026, 2027, and beyond ahead of free agency and the draft at the end of April:
2026:
Round 1, Pick 17
Round 2, Pick 50
Round 4, Pick 118
Round 4, Pick 128 (via HOU)
Round 5, Pick 155
Round 6, Pick 187 (via CLE)
Round 6, Pick 204 (via JAX)
Round 7, Pick 223 (via CLE)
Detroit might get a compensatory pick for Kevin Zeitler, too. Per Over The Cap, that pick could be a 6th rounder.
2027:
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
Round 7 (via HOU)
2028:
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
One note on the Lions' compensatory picks, according to Over the Cap: there's a possibility that the Lions net as high as a 3rd round compensatory pick for losing Carlton Davis in free agency this past offseason.
If former Lions safety Ifeatu Melifonwu qualifies for a compensatory pick, and D.J. Reed's contract gets valued as a 5th round compensatory pick, the Lions would receive a 3rd or 4th round pick this year for Davis rather than a 5th or 6th rounder for Zeitler.
READ MORE: New ESPN mock confirms pivot in Lions' draft plan after David Montgomery trade
That would be best case scenario for the Lions, as they're without a 3rd rounder this year. That could make the difference for them, especially as it pertains to rebuilding their secondary with starting talent. If they can snag a safety or cornerback in the 3rd round rather than the 4th, they can focus on their running back and tight end room in the 4th.
Of course, Detroit should be prepared for the possibility that they won't hit on that compensatory 3rd rounder. Free agency is kicking off, and that's their best option for landing starting talent ahead of a crucial 2026 season.