The Lions aren’t likely to move any players during the draft, but if these extreme scenarios happen, they might
Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch against LA Chargers during the first half of the Hall of Fame Game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio on Thursday, July 31, 2025.
Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The 2026 NFL Draft is starting on Thursday, and the Detroit Lions are in a pretty good spot to find some great players.
With that in mind, we’ve been asked what players the Lions could maybe trade during the draft. The answer is more than likely none. At this point, they don’t really need to trade anyone. But if, and it’s a big if, some extreme scenarios come up, the Lions might find themselves in a situation where they might be more willing to make a move. Here are three players they could potentially trade, and those extreme scenarios that would make them do it.
Sam LaPorta
Let’s start here, I think it’s pretty unlikely the Lions do this unless they really want to move up to the top five of the draft. Teams are going to want picks, and they’re going to want something really big. LaPorta would be that something really big.
The Lions would not only get a top-five player in this draft, but they’d get to avoid paying LaPorta top-of-the-market money, and they’d probably get the opportunity to keep their 2027 first-round pick. But again, this is a nuclear option here. This is moving up really high in the draft for a player you fully believe is a sure thing. The Lions may not be interested in doing it.
Alim McNeill
The Lions have spent a lot of time during the pre-draft process looking for interior defensive linemen. If they get a shot at one of the top guys in the draft, like Clemson’s Peter Woods or Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald, the Lions might entertain the idea of trading away McNeill as a cost-cutting measure, and there could be some teams willing to take on his contract.
In reality, while the Lions are truly looking for interior guys, they’re probably more interested in finding guys who can be a part of the rotation as opposed to a guy who can start.
Isaac TeSlaa
Don’t freak out. Just read this section and understand what I’m saying. The Lions have been looking at receivers. Specifically, the Lions have been looking at some of the top receivers. They were at Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson’s personal workout over the weekend, and they did not spend all that money sending scouts out there to smokescreen teams. That makes no sense at all.
The Lions have been looking for an X receiver for years, and while TeSlaa is expected to be that guy, Tyson is an upgrade. He has elite potential and adds the element that the Lions have wanted on offense for so long.
With that said, I don’t think the Lions go this route unless they know they can get a guy like Tyson. If they do, they could look to move TeSlaa, and while that would upset fans in the moment, they’d understand later when they see the vision in practice.
Of all the trades that are listed in this article, this is the one that most depends on an actual scenario taking place. A scenario that is frankly, pretty unlikely to happen. So again, don’t freak out by the inclusion here.
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