Lions GM Brad Holmes said last month the Lions "have had discussions" about trading the seventh overall pick in the draft.
To move down? To move up?
Almost certainly the former.
The Lions have their quarterback in place for at least the next two seasons in Jared Goff, and as many as four quarterbacks could be drafted in the top 10. It would only make sense for Detroit to sell its pick to a QB-needy team and collect more assets for its rebuild.
And it appears that's the goal for Holmes, who already added two future first-round picks and a third-rounder this year in the Matthew Stafford trade.
The Athletic reported Friday that, according to an NFL senior executive, 'the Lions are looking for another deal and trying to move down from No. 7.'
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Teams behind the Lions who could be eyeing a QB include the Broncos (No. 9), Patriots (No. 15) and Washington (No. 19). And it's not just the crop of quarterbacks that could entice teams to move up to No. 7. There's an elite trio of receivers at the top of the board in Ja'Marr Chase, DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle and two highly-regarded offensive tackles in Penei Sewell and Rashawn Slater.
The Lions could use a receiver themselves -- or a long-term offensive tackle, for that matter -- but they have so many holes on their roster that it almost doesn't matter where they wind up picking in the first round. They'll fill a need -- and upgrade their talent -- either way.
"There’s players that we feel really, really good about staying where we are that we feel comfortable selecting, so (trading our pick) isn't the sole focus," Holmes said last month. "But you gotta be prepared for everything, so we do our work in making sure that we’re best prepared for what may happen with the teams behind us or in front of us."