Trade down
The Lions hold a very valuable slot in this year’s draft, so opposing teams could naturally be interested in trading with them to ensure they get the player – or more specifically, the quarterback – they want.
Sascha Paruk from Sports Betting Dime had this to say regarding how bettors view Detroit’s odds of trading down:
“At this time, sportsbooks have not posted odds on the Lions trading the No. 3 pick yet. They likely will when the April 23 draft date is a little closer. We are actively watching for when sportsbooks will release these odds.
At this stage, there’s a strong chance Detroit trades out of No. 3, somewhere in the +175 range (36.4% probability). Joe Burrow will almost certainly go No. 1 to the Bengals, but that will leave two highly-touted QB prospects (Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert) for one of the quarterback-needy teams, like the Dolphins, Chargers, Panthers, or even potentially the Patriots. NFL franchises expending massive capital to move up for a quarterback is almost an annual tradition at the draft.”
Those are favorable odds this early in the draft process, considering that free agency and Combine have yet to take place. Several teams could look to jump the Dolphins with the fifth pick, or the Dolphins could themselves trade up to prevent anyone else from stealing their quarterback from them.
Given the high demand for quarterbacks early on in the draft, it’s very possible the Lions could trade back to the No. 6 or 7 spots and add a couple of early draft picks, and while still getting the guy they wanted all along at No. 3. That could be the route they go down once the draft rolls around.