The general consensus as of right now is that defensive end Derrick Harvey is in the top slot of the Detroit Lions' draft board. Rod Marinelli wants an edge pass rusher, and Harvey is someone that fits that role perfectly. Problem is, the chances of Harvey still being around when the Lions go on the clock is very slim, especially now that Panthers defense end Mike Rucker has retired. I would say Harvey likely will end up going to Carolina if he even lasts that long, meaning Detroit is out of luck.
Knowing that Harvey likely will be drafted before the Lions have a shot to pick him, an interesting scenario could present itself in the form of a trade. The Denver Broncos control the 12th pick of the first-round, which is one selection before Carolina goes on the clock. If any trade involving the Lions is made, one with Denver seems to be the most likely. Why? Well, for starters the Lions and Broncos have a history when it comes to trades. On top of that, Mile High Report confirmed my suspicions that Denver is looking to trade their way out of the 12th pick.
To answer the question posed in the quote above, I would say that if it were the Lions' second third-rounder, then there is a possibility Detroit would make a deal like that. It would be a big price to pay considering all four of Detroit's picks in the first three rounds will be used to address a need, but I guess it depends on how bad the Lions want Harvey. He certainly isn't the only option out there as Detroit can go in many directions, but I know Rod Marinelli likes him quite a bit.
One last thing I have to add about trading up is that Peter King must have been on something when he made this statement in his latest mock draft:
Umm, Matt Ryan? That's pretty funny. Not only is Ryan overrated in my opinion, but the Lions would not trade up into the top 10 to draft a QB. That is really the least of the Lions' concerns right now as they will have to address needs at RB, OT, DE, DT, MLB, and CB before even thinking about a future replacement for Jon Kitna. If this was any other year then maybe Detroit would think about picking him should he fall to pick #15, but let's be real, Jon Kitna is this team's quarterback. A future plan regarding Kitna's eventual replacement should be in the works for next year's draft, but right now Detroit has bigger concerns than drafting another overrated QB.