In his first three drafts as Detroit Lions general manager, Brad Holmes has demonstrated his willingness to make trades. In 2022, he traded up from the Lions’ second first-round pick (No. 32 overall) to select Alabama receiver Jameson Williams at No. 12 overall. In 2018, he traded back from the No. 6 pick to select Crimson Tide running back Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12 and Iowa tight end Sam LaPorta at No. 34..
If Holmes trades up in this April’s draft, he has a range of options for improving Detroit’s squad.
Without further ado, here are four prospects he may make a deal for on Day 1 of the 2024 draft.
CB Quinyon Mitchell of Toledo
Mitchell has grown in popularity as a top cornerback in this year’s draft class. The Toledo product might now be chosen as early as the middle of the first round.
In each of his final two seasons with the Rockets, the 6-foot, 190-pound defensive back had at least 19 passes defensed. He also had six interceptions in his final two college seasons.
Furthermore, in his final year at Toledo, he received a Pro Football Focus overall rating of 91.5, with grades of 88.7 and 85.9 in man and zone coverage, respectively.
I have little doubt that he would significantly improve the Lions’ cornerback corps in 2024 and beyond.
EDGE Darius Robinson, Missouri
Robinson, a Canton (Mich.) High School alumni, grew up to be a Lions fan.
The 6-foot-5, 296-pound defender had a career-best season in his fifth and final year at Missouri. He made 43 total stops, including 14 for loss, 8.5 sacks, and a forced fumble with fumble recovery. Robinson earned first-team All-SEC accolades as well as an 83.1 overall score from PFF.
The ex-Missouri defender has the intangibles to be a strong run-stopper and pass-rusher at the next level, making him a valuable addition to Detroit’s defensive line.
DL Byron Murphy II, Texas
Murphy would significantly improve the Lions’ pass-rushing attempts along the interior of the defensive line.
Last season, the big-bodied defensive tackle earned a career-high PFF overall grade of 91.1, including a 91.5 pass-rush rating.
Currently, the Longhorns product is expected to be a mid-first round pick.
If Holmes and Co. can find a way to trade up and obtain Murphy, he’d be a good running buddy for Alim McNeill.
CB Cooper DeJean, Iowa
The Iowa product is a tenacious, strong defender who can play in a variety of formations.
DeJean, who excelled in both zone coverage and run defense while at Iowa, had a strong conclusion to his NCAA career.
In his final two seasons at Iowa, he had seven interceptions (three returned for touchdowns), 20 passes defensed, and one punt return for touchdown. He also allowed a passer rating of only 49.7 and 37.8 in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
He received numerous awards for his efforts in ’23, including unanimous first-team All-America, first-team All-Big Ten (as a cornerback and return specialist), and the Tatum-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year.
Recently, he has been projected to go as high as No. 19 overall to the Los Angeles Rams and as low as No. 25 overall to the Green Bay Packers.
I wouldn’t mind Holmes trading up for DeJean, who appears to be the archetypal Dan Campbell player.
