Report: Lions among Teams Looking To Trade Up

Could Lions trade up in NFL Draft?

Feb 29, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; UCLA defensive lineman Laiatu Latu (DL42). / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

With just a little over 24 hours until round one of the 2024 NFL Draft (8 p.m. EST Thursday), Detroit is reportedly exploring the possibility of facilitating a draft-night trade. According to Sports Illustrated NFL insider Albert Breer, the Lions are one of the various NFL franchises interested in trading up from their current spot in the first round.

"Among the teams exploring a trade up are the Detroit Lions, who are sitting at 29," Breer wrote. "After two consecutive years of multiple first-round picks (which brought them Aidan Hutchinson, Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs and Jack Campbell), the Lions are likely looking for an edge opposite Hutchinson, or perhaps another corner."

If the Lions trade up and go the EDGE route, UCLA's Laiatu Latu, who is presently being mocked anywhere from No. 8 overall (to the Atlanta Falcons) to No. 27 overall (to the Arizona Cardinals), would make a lot of sense. The 2023 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year recorded 10.5 sacks in his final season with the Bruins, and would be a solid running mate for Detroit Pro Bowl EDGE Aidan Hutchinson.

Now, if Brad Holmes & Co. traded up to acquire a cornerback, both Alabama's Terrion Arnold and Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell, in my opinion, would be worthwhile targets. Arnold is being projected to go as high as No. 12 overall to the Denver Broncos, while Mitchell is being mocked as high as No. 10 overall to the N.Y. Jets. Both recorded Pro Football Focus overall grades north of 88.0 in 2023, and would immediately bolster Detroit's secondary.

Mitchell, for one, recorded a PFF overall mark of 91.5 in his final season at Toledo, to go along with a highly impressive 91.6 coverage grade.

Dan Campbell, meanwhile, has added fuel to the trade-up speculation with his recent comments about the Lions being "prepared to do anything" in the first round.

“Yeah, well here’s what I’d say. All you’ve got to do is one sleep and then you’ve got two picks," Campbell told 97.1 The Ticket. "That’s what I would tell the kids when they were young. You’ve got one more sleep. Anything can happen. We’re prepared to do anything and if our guy’s not there, if we’re sitting there and our guy’s not there, we will move back. So I’m just preparing the fans, be ready, you never know what’s gonna happen here.”