Monday open thread: Will the Detroit Lions trade down?

The 2020 NFL Draft is only a few days away, and it is shaping up to be a wild one.

Outside of Joe Burrow going to the Cincinnati Bengals, there is no consensus anywhere in the draft. Who will Washington pick? Who will be the second quarterback selected? How many offensive linemen will go in the first, and how early? Is Isaiah Simmons a linebacker or a safety?

For the Detroit Lions, however, there is one question on everyone’s mind:

Will the Lions trade down?

My answer:

I firmly believe that trading down is the right choice for the Lions. This team needs the draft assets, and the talent drop off from the third pick to the fifth or sixth picks is negligible in my books.

However, as the draft approaches, there is more uncertainty surrounding possible trade partners. The most likely scenario for a trade down is if a team wants to acquire a quarterback. This draft has a talented player in Tua Tagovailoa that fits the bill on paper, but in a tumultuous offseason, the demand might not be as high as it should be.

The reason? Medicals.

The health of Tagovailoa has been a significant question since his hip injury. During a normal offseason and draft process, teams can conduct meetings and medical checks on players. These would be crucial for Tagovailoa, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teams have been unable to conduct them as they normally would.

If you are a team in need of a boost to your franchise, do you take a risk on a player that might not be healthy? There was plenty of discussion about the Miami Dolphins or Los Angeles Chargers trading up to acquire him, but they might be content to stand pat, opting to draft Justin Herbert at their respective draft positions, or simply pass on a quarterback altogether.

You also have to think about it from the perspective of the Lions. They will not want to part with such a valuable draft asset for minimal return. I would be surprised if they drop out of the top 10. If Miami and Los Angeles are hesitant to trade up, who else can they trade with? More importantly, do you want to risk losing out on a player like Jeff Okudah?

Overall, while I would love a trade down, given the circumstances of this year’s draft, I think the trade down market could be barren. It would not surprise me if the Lions stay at three.

And that isn’t such a bad thing.

Your turn.