The 2026 NFL draft is almost here, and we’ve grown no closer to figuring out the Detroit Lions’ plans with the No. 17 pick.
There’s been chatter of drafting an offensive tackle or edge rusher, which have been penciled in as Detroit’s two biggest needs for a while now. And while those are good guesses, the truth is we really don’t know. General manager Brad Holmes has kept his cards quite close to his chest.
The Lions have to be hoping No. 17 is the highest they’ll be picking for a while. They’ve built this team to contend for a Super Bowl, and the moves they make this offseason should be in service of that goal. But, in their quest to add a player that can help get them back in the Lombardi Trophy conversation, could we see them try to pick even higher?
Holmes didn’t sound against the idea in his predraft press conference last week.
"Absolutely. Yeah, if it's the right guy. You guys know me," Holmes said about the possibility of trading up. "If we have that kind of conviction for a player, absolutely. We're going to go and get him."
Take it with a grain of salt, or even dismiss it as a smokescreen completely, but a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler this morning seems to support this idea.
Some teams are watching Detroit (17) as trade-up threat. They’ve been making calls.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 23, 2026
Dallas is looking at options to move up or down, potentially. A move up would not be crazy high. It doesn’t want to give up 20 as of now. Think Chiefs (9) or maybe Browns (6) as possible entry… https://t.co/NJuuyIYBlM
Lions trade rumors could say a lot about Holmes' favorites in this year's draft
Now, “making calls” is what any responsible general manager ought to be doing to prepare for any possibility. But let’s indulge ourselves a little bit and think about this some more.
Who are some players the Lions might want to trade up for? Well, Fowler also reported there could be an early run on offensive tackles in the first 15-17 picks, which would of course be right before the Lions are set to pick at 17. Could they try to get ahead of the rush if they think it's coming?
Utah’s Spencer Fano seems like a viable trade candidate. He’s strong, agile and could play left guard as well as right tackle. Miami tackle Francis Mauigoa could fall a little bit due to some back concerns, maybe Detroit makes a move for him. Penn State guard Vega Ioane isn’t a tackle, but might be the best offensive lineman in the draft and the Lions could target him.
There’s also the possibility of moving up for a defender. Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. are arguably top-5 talents in the draft, but are both getting mocked below that largely because of positional value and injury concerns for Downs and arm length and off-the-field issues for Bain.
READ MORE: Last second mock draft has Lions following through on alleged smoke screen
Both of these guys should be top-10 picks, but if they aren’t, the Lions may need to get aggressive.
The problem with trading up is the Lions don’t have much day two capital, only holding one selection (No. 50) across rounds two and three. That’s usually not good ammunition for a trade up, so it’s likely the Lions would have to surrender some premium picks in next year’s draft to move up this year.
That carries its own level of risk considering the 2027 draft class is widely seen as much better than this one. But if the Lions see a player who can become an impact starter right away start to slip, don’t be surprised to see Holmes wheel and deal.
He did it in 2022 with the trade up for Jameson Williams, and that worked out quite well for the Lions. Though Detroit doesn’t have the obvious ammo to move up that a team like the Dallas Cowboys or Cleveland Browns might, they’ve made it clear that if there’s a player they love, they will do what it takes to get him.
That could result in a very, very interesting Thursday night for the Lions as they aim to get back to championship-level form.
Add us as a preferred source on Google