Thousands of Detroit Lions supporters will assemble at Campus Martius in downtown Detroit on Thursday to see the 2024 NFL Draft and the player the Lions might choose with the 29th overall selection. Although it may disappoint fans who will be waiting hours for Detroit’s pick, Lions general manager Brad Holmes did not completely rule out the possibility that they end up trading down out of the first round given that first-round talent could be gone by the time Detroit is on the clock.
“If it makes sense, it lines up, and it’s the right thing to do, we have to do the right thing,” Holmes stated. “We have to do the right thing for the organisation.”
Nevertheless, Holmes understands the suffering of the Lions supporters. It’s the first time Detroit has ever hosted the actual stage of the draft, and some people will be travelling hundreds or even thousands of miles to attend.
Holmes remarked, “Hopefully they’ll forgive us.” “We won’t expect forgiveness right away, but hopefully once the season begins and we select that player, it will be like, ‘Okay, we can kind of get past the.'” However, I completely comprehend that.
This year, trading down might also make some sense for Detroit. The Lions only have three picks in the top 150 right now, which means they won’t have a chance at a top-tier player unless they trade up. Having more resources available on Day 2 might help keep Detroit’s roster full of young, skilled players. Furthermore, Holmes acknowledged that they might be able to select a player of the same calibre early in the second round, just as they might be able to snag at number 29.
“You’ve just got to get your head around the players, and we’ve been doing this long enough to know, like, alright, we’re probably not going to be picking some of those (top) guys,” Holmes said. “It’s something I picked up in L.A., where we didn’t even have a first-round pick for a long time. So you can kind of expedite it to the guys you think you’re looking at.”
So if you’re planning on heading to the draft next week—particularly for just Round 1—come prepared with an understanding that there’s a possibility the Lions may not make a pick that night
