General manager Bob Quinn and the Detroit Lions could be moving on out of the No. 3 spot in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Teams interested in trading up with the Lions to acquire the third pick in the draft are attempting to entice Quinn and the Lions into moving down, NFL Network reported.
Though the spot has been ripe for speculation given the likelihood teams hungry for an upgrade at quarterback will converge, the Lions have undergone more rebuilding in the offseason with the exit of multiple starters. Right tackle Rick Wagner was cut, Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay was traded and the Lions are looking at new starters at nose tackle (Damon “Snacks” Harrison won’t return) and linebacker.
Quinn told Field Level Media at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine in February that the Lions are open to “any trades.”
Quinn said “the higher up you are in the draft, the sooner the conversations start” about making a deal.
LSU quarterback Joe Burrow is expected to be the top pick by the Cincinnati Bengals. At No. 2, the Washington Redskins are expected to land Ohio State defensive end Chase Young.
That leaves the Lions with the third pick, where Ohio State cornerback Jeffrey Okudah, Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons — viewed by some as a safety — and top offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs (Iowa) could fill immediate needs.
But if the Lions value all three relatively equally, moving down might be in the cards.
The Miami Dolphins have three first-round picks, and the No. 5 pick would guarantee the Lions still have a shot at one of those three prospects.
The Los Angeles Chargers are viewed as the greatest competition for the Dolphins at No. 3 and, in general, for the next-best quarterback.
It’s in the eye of the beholder whether the No. 2 quarterback in this draft should be Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa or Oregon’s Justin Herbert.
The Dolphins currently have Ryan Fitzpatrick and former first-round pick Josh Rosen at quarterback. The Chargers let Philip Rivers go in free agency — he signed with the Indianapolis Colts — and have Tyrod Taylor positioned to start.