There's still about a month left before the Detroit Lions are on the board in this year's NFL Draft, and there's also plenty of time left between now and the kickoff to the event to make a trade.
General manager Brad Holmes could be itching to get back into the 3rd round of this year's draft considering the steep drop-off in talent between the 2nd and 4th round. But, could he also be looking to move up to a more premium spot in the 1st round this year, too? That's a proposal at least one NFL writer has made for Detroit.
It'd just cost them their starting tight end.
Eric Edholm, NFL.com's lead draft expert, created a mock trade that would send Sam LaPorta, the Lions' 17th overall pick, and a 2026 6th rounder over to the Washington Commanders in exchange for their 7th overall pick, their 2027 3rd round pick, and tight end Ben Sinnott. It's a jarring trade, sending LaPorta out to an NFC competitor.
But, it almost guarantees them the opportunity to take the best tackle in this year's class in Francis Mauigoa.
Lions could make a splash with this mock draft
Edholm wrote of this proposal:
"George Kittle and Trey McBride reset the TE market last offseason with extensions that pay them each $19 million-plus per year, and that's before any extension has been struck for Atlanta's . Can the Lions afford to pay LaPorta close to that level? Remember, they also must pay RB (two years left on his rookie contract, including a fifth-year option), LB (on the same timeline as Gibbs) and S (one year left)."
This would be a money-saving move for the Lions, in addition to one that would guarantee them a shot at Mauigoa as their next cornerstone right tackle. He's the best available RT in this year's class, and this is also just a deep class in the first round at that position. So, you might be wondering why Detroit would be so motivated to move up when they could land a starting RT at 17.
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Well, snagging Mauigoa guarantees them the best starting option. Better than Monroe Freeling on paper, and better than Blake Miller by the same metric. With recent news that head coach Dan Campbell is interested in moving Penei Sewell over to left tackle, this is the sort of trade that could work out excellently for the Lions in more ways than one: financially, and for their long-term O-line reconstruction.
With this move, they'd also still have tight ends Brock Wright, Tyler Conklin, and Ben Sinnott. And, the draft would remain wide open for them to snag someone at TE with one of their fourth rounders.
Of the four extension-eligible players on the roster for Detroit, just Jahmyr Gibbs and Jack Campbell feel like guaranteed names to watch for new deals. As for LaPorta and Brian Branch, their injury history may end up forcing them into an expendable pool for the Lions' front office.