Lions urged to make 17th-pick trade during draft for 4 contract reasons
Detroit has some work to do.
Lions urged to make 17th-pick trade during draft for 4 contract reasons originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . After missing the playoffs, the Detroit Lions are slated to make the 17th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
They could go a different route, though, one that involves a trade. Specifically, ESPN's Bill Barnwell thinks the Lions should trade down from No. 17 to accumulate more draft capital.
The main reason? Expensive contracts are about to hit the Detroit books. This offseason, a quartet is eligible for extensions: Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, Jack Campbell and Brian Branch.
While it's not a guarantee the Lions pay all of them, they certainly could, and with increases in salaries comes a need for more cheap, young talent to supplement them. MORE: How the NFL Draft impacts Eagles-Patriots A. J.