The Detroit Lions may need to trade up from the No. 17 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to secure a top offensive tackle. Other teams, including the Panthers and Eagles, are also eyeing picks No. 15 and No. 16 to potentially jump ahead of the Lions.
If the Detroit Lions are dead set on landing one of the top offensive tackles in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, they may need to move up from pick No. 17 in order to land one.
Because of the Lions' likely intent to draft a top offensive tackle, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport thinks other teams around the league could be looking at picks No. 15 and No. 16 as potential spots to trade up into before the Lions make their selection at No. 17.
"What I want to look at is around 15 and 16. Both those picks are before 17, which is where the Detroit Lions pick, and I think it's pretty clear, the Lions have a need, maybe a significant need for an offensive tackle. A lot of teams know this.
"The Lions have said, 'We may not take a tackle.' But I think it's fair to say teams believe they will. And you have several teams right behind the Lions—you have teams like the Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers and several others who have done a lot of work on the top tackles. Do they try to jump in front of the Lions to get one of the top tackles, one of the last few top tackles available? I know the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for instance at 15 are open to moving back. The Jets are always open to moving from Darren Mougey on down. That certainly seems to be a place where someone could come up and take a tackle," Rapoport said.
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Teams like the Panthers, Eagles, and 49ers are potential candidates to trade up before the Lions' pick.
The Lions have a significant need for an offensive tackle and may lose out on top prospects if they stay at No. 17.
Picks No. 15 and No. 16 are crucial as they could allow teams to select one of the last top offensive tackles before the Lions pick at No. 17.
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This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Insider: Teams may trade up before Lions' No. 17 NFL draft pick