It's been nearly 20 years since the Lions traded down in the first round of the draft.
GM Brad Holmes isn't scared to change that.
Asked about his willingness to move the second overall pick this year, Holmes smiled and told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero at this week's Senior Bowl, "I’m always open for whatever."
"We’re still in the early stages of it, we got a good feel of the class," he said. "We’re in a much better place at this stage of the process than we were last year, but still, we got a lot more work to do. But I’m never scared to move around. So we’re definitely open for business, always."
The Lions haven't moved back in the first round since sliding from No. 6 to No. 7 in a trade with the Browns and drafting WR Roy Williams in 2004; the deal netted Detroit an extra second-round pick. (Cleveland took TE Kellen Winslow sixth overall.) That was several regimes ago for the Lions.
Holmes has already swung one major trade in his tenure as GM, landing a bevy of draft picks from the Rams in last year's Matthew Stafford deal. That includes a first-rounder in each of the next two drafts. He could add to that haul -- and potentially supercharge the Lions' rebuild -- by trading down this year from No. 2.
Or Holmes could sit tight and take the best player on the board, likely either Michigan DE Aidan Hutchinson or Oregon DE Kayvon Thibodeaux. Either one would help a defense desperate for more talent. So would Notre Dame S Kyle Hamilton.
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The Lions could also be on the prowl for a quarterback, but there isn't one in this year's class worthy of a top-five pick. If they start flying off the board in the back half of the first round, Detroit could be in position to strike -- or trade up -- with its pick from the Rams (either No. 31 or 32 overall).
Holmes and the Lions are getting a close-up look at most of the top QB prospects at the Senior Bowl, where Holmes said "we want to get questions answered" of several prospects ahead of April's draft. He said "it’s been successful so far," as the Lions dive into an important offseason.
"This is the first step obviously and then we got the ball rolling on free agency already," he said. "Did a lot of work this week will continue to do a lot of work. But just (want to) add football players that fit the Detroit Lions, whether it’s free agency or the draft. That’s the goal.
"We laid a good foundation last year. Took a lot of lumps, had to practice patience, but we definitely feel like the foundation is laid. So I think we’re in a a good position going forward."