While the Detroit Lions had a solid 2026 NFL Draft, they almost pulled off a massive trade-up to get even better. New reports reveal that Detroit was aggressively trying to move up in the first round to grab safety Caleb Downs. 

The Lions held the 17th pick, but they really wanted to jump higher in the draft. They were eyeing the 13th pick, held by the Los Angeles Rams, hoping to draft Downs before anyone else could.

The team viewed Downs as the missing piece for their secondary defense. However, the Rams weren't impressed with what the teams were offering. Nate Adkins of The Athletic explained why a deal never happened: 

“The trade offers that came the Rams’ way at No. 13 were 'soft.' The Detroit Lions had interest in moving up, but the return didn’t excite in a draft that thinned out considerably by Day 3,” Atkins wrote.

Since the Lions couldn't strike a deal, the Dallas Cowboys beat them to it. Dallas traded up to the 11th overall pick to draft Downs. Thereafter, the Cowboys signed Downs to a four-year contract with a full guaranteed amount of $28.9 million. 

The Cowboys were able to make the trade-up for Downs despite Detroit's attempts, sticking with their 17th overall pick.

Lions Drafts Clemson OT Blake Miller

The Detroit Lions really wanted Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller in the draft. Before the draft started, many people thought the Lions might trade their picks to move higher up the board just to make sure they got him.

Lions' General Manager, Brad Holmes, admitted he was worried other teams would take the best blockers before it was Detroit's turn.

However, the front office were ecstatic to select Miller with their 17th overall pick. During his post-draft conference, Holmes discussed the trade-up attempts and their decision surrounding it.

“We did, yeah. We talked to teams up, way up," Holmes said. "And we just talked about it and tried to see if we can be at peace with what the capital is that you’d have to expend. But we definitely explored strongly about trading up.” 

Miller was a reliable player at Clemson. He started all 54 games of his career and played a school-record 3,778 snaps. In 2025, he allowed only 14 pressures and two sacks all season.

When the Los Angeles Rams chose a quarterback, it left more blockers available for everyone else. This gave the Lions confidence that they could stay right where they were with their first-round pick and still get Miller. 

Everything worked out perfectly, and they got the player they wanted without giving up any extra picks for the trade-up. 

Read more at the Detroit Lions Community!

Written by

Aaindri Thakuri

Edited by

Rishab Nandi