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If the Detroit Lions want to land one of the top two offensive tackles in the 2013 NFL Draft, chances are they will have to trade up. The thinking is that if one of Luke Joeckel and Eric Fisher make it past the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 2, the Lions will have to get in front of the Philadelphia Eagles or a team trading up to land their man.
Given all of this, it's no surprise that we are now starting to hear about a possible trade involving the Oakland Raiders and Lions. The Raiders hold the No. 3 pick, and since they are believed to be targeting a defensive tackle, they should have the flexibility to move down and land their top target at that position. Since the Lions probably need to move up to get someone like Fisher (if he is still there at No. 3), these two teams are ideal matches for a trade. From TFY Draft Insider's Tony Pauline:
Building upon on news we posted yesterday, sources tell me if either of the top two tackles are available when the Oakland Raiders are called to the clock the team will consider flipping picks with the Detroit Lions. The Lions will select the remaining tackle while the Raiders will take Shariff Floyd/Florida or Star Lotulelei/Utah at five.
As we talked about earlier this week, the Cleveland Browns gave up picks in the fourth, fifth and seventh rounds to move up from No. 4 to No. 3 last year. With that in mind, the Lions would likely have to surrender at least a third-rounder to move up, especially if other teams are expressing interest in jumping up to get the third overall pick.
A third-round pick seems like a hefty price to pay to jump just two spots, but look at it this way: Would you rather have Eric Fisher and no third-round pick or someone like Ezekiel Ansah and a third-round pick. I'm honestly not sure what the better option is at this point. I like the idea of getting Fisher, but can the Lions really afford to give up a third-round pick? Vote in the poll below and leave your thoughts in the comments.