We've heard it since draft season began. With the third overall pick, the Lions are in prime position to trade down.
It's a draft class loaded with quarterback prospects, and there are multiple QB-needy teams seemingly hungry to move up. The Dolphins, Chargers and Jaguars, to name a few. Meanwhile, the Lions have made it abundantly clear they're not moving on from Matthew Stafford.
Detroit continues to be linked to Ohio State CB Jeffrey Okudah, either at third overall or a couple picks later. The growing consensus is that the Lions could move back and still get their guy.
Which brings us to a proposal from NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter, who suggested eight trades teams should make on day one of the draft. First on his list?
The Lions swap picks with the Dolphins at fifth overall and get one of Miami's second-round picks this year (39th overall or 56th overall) and its second-round pick next year:
"The Dolphins need a young quarterback to build around. If the Bengals pick Joe Burrow first overall and the Redskins select top pass rusher Chase Young at No. 2, then the Lions could reap the benefit with Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert still on the board and Miami in great position to make an offer with its stockpile of draft capital.
"With the Chargers and Jaguars also potentially in the market for a quarterback, the Dolphins may need to give up the fifth pick and two second-round picks (one in 2020 and one in 2021) to stop others from leap-frogging them for a passer."
It's not the return some Lions fans might be hoping for, considering the Dolphins have two additional first-round picks (No. 18 and No. 26) this year. But it's likely the more realistic scenario, unless a bidding war ensues between Miami and another team or two.
That's why Detroit has to hope for more good news on Tua, like the workout videos he released last week.
As ESPN's Dan Orlovsky said, "I think this video is going to set off a chain of events, almost like an arms race or maybe like a game of chicken between the Chargers and the Dolphins and maybe the Raiders."
For the Lions, the bigger the race the better.
