Sitting with the No. 2 overall pick in next month's NFL draft, the Detroit Lions are open for business.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes reiterated this week that he'd consider trading down and noted he's talked with multiple teams on the topic.
"We've had dialogue with a couple of teams," Holmes said, via the team’s official website. "I wouldn't say it's been a lot, but there has been a couple teams that we've had some dialogue with."
In the nascent stages of a massive rebuild, with multiple needs, it makes sense that the Lions would look to move down. However, finding a partner willing to give up future capital to jump up the board is another story.
In a draft lacking in sure-fire top-five quarterback prospects, teams like the Lions will have a harder time trading back and amassing a big haul. With the Jaguars seemingly poised to pass on an offensive tackle to take an edge rusher at No. 1 overall, and the Lions also socked at the OT spot, teams looking for a big-time blindside protector also might not be motivated to jump too high either.
Even so, Holmes noted that he'd be willing to pull the trigger on a trade before the draft if another team is willing. Guiding his second draft in Detroit, Holmes noted that he expects chatter to pick up as we get closer to the April 28 draft.
"I would expect for it to heat up," Holmes said. "Especially with the pick that we have this year because it definitely heated up at No. 7 last year. I expect to have more dialogue."
If no trade materializes, Holmes said he has a cluster of several prospects he'd be happy to see wearing Honolulu Blue.
"There's multiple players at multiple positions that if we turn the card in today, we could turn that card in today and sleep well at night," he said. "That's a testament to everyone in our building, our personnel department. We're so far ahead in the process, our scouts."
