Getty
Linebacker Sonny Styles of the Ohio State Buckeyes.
The Detroit Lions own the No. 17 pick in the NFL draft, and traditional logic suggests they will address their greatest need by selecting an offensive tackle in that spot and head into the 2026 season as reasonable contenders to win the NFC.
But then there is the notion of GM Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell going nuclear with a blockbuster trade that vaults the team into the middle of the top 10 and secures Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles.
Dominique Foxworth of ESPN, a former pro cornerback, gave voice to such a proposal on the April 10 edition of his show.
“He’s a big, physical linebacker, which is something that would obviously help the Lions — who like big, physical linebackers — in a division with the Bears who run the [expletive] out of the ball,” Foxworth said. “He’s also comfortable in base [defense] … [and the Lions] wanna stay in base.”
Foxworth went on to describe the many ways in which Styles is essentially a perfect fit for what the Lions want to do defensively.
“He can’t be isolated because of his athleticism in coverage, and he can give you a little bit of flexibility with blitzing off the edge, which is something else they’ve been looking for — ways to create pressure,” Foxworth continued. “I really think that’d be a good fit for them culture-wise and size-wise and scheme-wise.”
Charlie Kravitz, Foxworth’s co-host, applauded the idea, particularly in the context of pairing Styles with first-team All-Pro linebacker Jack Campbell.
“That would make them one of the most uniquely built defensives in the NFL. It would be really fun,” he said. “It’d be like an 80s Bears defense.”
Lions Likely Must Trade Into Top-5 of NFL Draft to Secure Ohio State Linebacker Sonny Styles
GettyLinebacker Sonny Styles of the Ohio State Buckeyes.
To guarantee they secure Styles, the Lions would probably have to move up to either the No. 4 spot via a trade with the Tennessee Titans or the No. 5 pick, which the New York Giants currently own.
New York is a potential candidate to draft Styles, though the Giants could also be a player for the first wide receiver off the board or Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the fifth overall selection. The Titans are more likely candidates for an edge-rusher of an offensive lineman, though a wideout or Love could also interest them with the fourth pick.
The Cleveland Browns at No. 6 have spoken openly through GM Andrew Berry about dealing out of that spot, but Detroit might have to wait until the Giants pick at No. 5 before making a deal to jump to the sixth pick, as New York could take Styles or another team could trade into pick Nos. 4 or 5 for that express purpose.
Big Bills Coming Due in Detroit for Members of Elite 2023 Draft Class
GettyDetroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs.
Moving up from No. 17 into the top five is also likely to prove an incredibly expensive proposition for Detroit.
The Lions own pick 50 in Round 2, but that isn’t nearly enough capital to make such a trade equitable. Instead, Detroit would have to offer up its first-round pick in 2027 along with a sweetener this year — perhaps either pick 118 or 128 in Round 4.
That is a heap of value, even for a perfect fit and potentially elite pro like Styles, given Detroit’s financial circumstances. The team has big extension decisions on Campbell, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, safety Brian Branch and tight end Sam LaPorta this offseason.
All indications are that the Lions intend to pay each of those excellent draft choices from the 2023 class. But doing so alongside the big deals right tackle Penei Sewell, receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and quarterback Jared Goff have already secured will create a massive salary cap strain for years to come in Detroit.
Thus, sending off a fourth-round pick this year and a first-rounder in 2027 hurts a team like the Lions more than it would other. But Detroit won the NFC North Division in 2023 and 2024, earning a spot in the NFC Championship Game before claiming the No. 1 seed in the conference in those campaigns, respectively.
The Lions went 9-8 last season but underperformed based on their offensive and defensive team metrics, meaning they profile as a strong bounce-back candidate in 2026 already. Adding Styles and securing their young corps of talent could put Detroit in Super Bowl contention next season, so the discussion is one worth having.
Max Dible covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible
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