NFL Draft Rumors: Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills asked about trading into top 5
Buffalo Bills helmet. Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
The Detroit Lions have reportedly shown some interest in trading up to draft a marquee wide receiver, as the initial rumors circulated around Clemson Tigers product Sammy Watkins, who is the top WR prospect in the 2014 NFL Draft. Then, ESPN’s John Clayton reported that the Lions have kicked around the idea of trading up for Mike Evans, who would give the Lions offense a second big-bodied wide receiver on the outside, with Golden Tate sandwiched in between Calvin Johnson and the Texas A&M rookie.
More from NFL Draft
- 49ers 7th-round pick turning out to be an absolute NFL Draft steal
- Could Colorado star Travis Hunter play both ways as an NFL player?
- 2024 NFL Draft: 7 teams that could tank for the #1 pick
- 3 players the Jacksonville Jaguars gave up on way too soon
- Rest of NFL will regret letting Steelers land this steal of a rookie
I’ve never liked the idea of the Lions trading up for anyone, especially a wide receiver. Not only is this draft deep at the position, but the Lions already have two top-shelf wideouts and don’t need to pay premium to add another. The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Lions have indeed “had conversations” about trading into the top five, but an exec told him that the Lions would like a “bargain”. That’s been all of our suspicions all along, but I doubt they are able to get that kind of a bargain. But if the price is indeed right, then it would be a pretty awesome to see the Lions drafting Khalil Mack. That’s a pipe dream even with a trade up, because there are strong rumblings that he could go first overall; I can’t see him slipping past the top three.
Rapoport also reported this morning (same link as above) that the Buffalo Bills have asked about trading into the top five, and that’s not a surprise given how aggressive GM Doug Whaley seems to be. It will be interesting to see if the Bills are targeting a wide receiver, tackle, or even an impact player on defense with a possible trade up, but they are also likely just kicking the tires in an effort to see if they can get a cheap deal. The exec’s statement of wanting a “bargain” applies to both teams.