For a team in need of help in the secondary, this is a pretty good year for the first round. There are a lot of talented defensive backs expected to go in the first round, including LSU's Morris Claiborne, South Carolina's Stephon Gilmore and Alabama's Dre Kirkpatrick and Mark Barron.
Unfortunately for the Detroit Lions, there's a very good chance all of those guys will be off the board when they go on the clock with the 23rd overall pick. As a result, it may be necessary to make a trade up in order to even have a chance at drafting one of them, and according to ESPN's John Clayton (via Pro Football Talk), some consideration is being given to making a move.
There’s virtually no chance of the Lions landing Claiborne, but there has been some discussion that the Lions might try to move up to secure Gilmore or Kirkpatrick, and ESPN’s John Clayton reported this morning that Detroit would love to be able to move up to get Barron.
To most, it would be a surprise if Barron falls out of the top 15, so if the Lions really want him and are willing to make a trade, they may have to jump up 10 or so spots. For reference, when the Philadelphia Eagles traded up from 24th to 13th in 2010, it cost them a pair of third-round picks, so chances are a move like that this year for the Lions would require similar compensation.
Reminder: You can follow Pride of Detroit on Twitter and like us on Facebook.