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With two days to go until the 2014 NFL Draft, a few things are seemingly pretty clear at this point: Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins likes the Detroit Lions, the Lions like Watkins and there's virtually no chance of him ending up in Detroit unless a trade happens.
Throughout the offseason, the Lions have been pretty open about their interest in Watkins. They brought him in for a pre-draft visit and met with him and his family while in town for Clemson's pro day, and they haven't been afraid to openly praise him. On the one hand, this all feels like a giant smokescreen given their unusual openness, but at the same time, it feels like they are legitimately considering a trade up to draft Watkins. At the very least, Watkins himself thinks it's a legitimate possibility:
Spoke to Sammy Watkins for an @FOXSports1 sitdown a little while ago. Thinks Lions interest is legit. "It's kinda serious."
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) May 6, 2014
From talking with Sammy Watkins today: The #Lions have made it clear to him they are very serious about potentially trading up for him.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 6, 2014
Now, just because the Lions are seriously considering a trade up for Watkins doesn't mean it will actually happen. For starters, they would have to find a trade partner somewhere in the top three to realistically have a shot at drafting him. What's more, they would have to actually agree to a deal that is fair to both sides. They aren't going to give up an unreasonable package of picks just to draft Watkins, and a team isn't going to move down from the top of the draft to 10 for a low-ball offer. There's a middle ground that will have to be agreed to for a deal to actually happen.
At this point, given all of the talk there has been about a trade, it wouldn't be surprising at all if the Lions pull off a move and end up drafting Watkins. Watkins certainly wouldn't be surprised to end up in Detroit, and he would be quite excited to play alongside Calvin Johnson.
Sammy Watkins told me he'd love to become a Lion: "I'd be very happy to end up there. I wouldn't have to be a superhero [due to Megatron]."
— Bart Hubbuch (@HubbuchNYP) May 6, 2014
I still tend to think it would take too much for the Lions to move all the way up to the second overall pick or something like that, which would ensure them a chance to draft Watkins. However, if he falls to the bottom of the top five or somewhere in that range, the Lions may jump at the chance to make a trade up for him.