DETROIT – The Detroit Lions have traded picks No. 6 and 81 to the Arizona Cardinals for picks No. 12, 34 and 168 in the 2023 NFL draft.
With the decision, the Lions will collect more picks in hopes to bolster more talent to fix their defensive side of the ball.
TRADE ALERT: Cardinals trading up to No. 6 with the Lions.
— NFL (@NFL) April 28, 2023
Lions receive picks 12 and 34. #NFLDraft
(by @PlayNFLRivals)
The initial No. 6 pick came from the Los Angeles Rams as the final piece of the trade that sent Matthew Stafford to Los Angeles two years ago. Detroit also owns their own first-round pick, at No. 18 overall.
Excitement is at an all-time high for Lions fans, as the team is coming off a 9-8 season that ended with eight wins in 10 weeks and an upset victory in Green Bay that kept the Packers out of the playoffs.
General manager Brad Holmes aced the 2022 draft, taking budding star Aidan Hutchinson at No. 2 overall and picking up other major contributors with later picks, including Malcolm Rodriguez, James Houston, and Kerby Joseph.
Holmes isn’t afraid to make big moves on draft night. He traded another Rams first-round pick to move up to No. 12 last year and take Jameson Williams, who has a promising future but missed most of his rookie season with a knee injury.
Williams is facing a six-game suspension this year after violating the NFL’s somewhat hypocritical gambling policy.
The Lions will still be a team to watch after the dust settles early Friday morning. They have two picks in the second round, thanks to the T.J. Hockenson trade, and one pick in the third round. Everyone is excited to see what Holmes can do with five of the top 100 selections.
