The Detroit Lions sit with the No. 28 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, and there's no telling what direction the team will go in given the unpredictable nature of the Lions general manager, Brad Holmes.
One possible option, of course, is a trade back. The Lions are in a spot where some quarterback-needy teams could be looking to trade up to get their guy, and that may prove lucrative for Detroit, a team that could use an extra pick with no fifth-round selection currently in the stable.
One analyst who thinks the Lions could trade their first-round pick to a team that needs a quarterback USA TODAY's Nate Davis, who predicts Detroit will send it's No. 28 pick to the Cleveland Browns, who use it on quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Cleveland climbs five spots to secure a long-term replacement for Deshaun Watson, whose pathetic tenure with the club is effectively over. Rumored to be in play for veteran Kirk Cousins, the Browns instead get Dart, something of a younger version of “KFC” but a more athletic one. An all-SEC selection last season after leading the conference in passing yards (4,279) and efficiency, Dart (6-2, 223) might still need a bit of time to get acclimated to the NFL, so it doesn’t hurt that he can marinate behind Joe Flacco and/or Kenny Pickett as long as necessary.
The Lions net the Browns' No. 33 overall pick, but Davis doesn't go into detail about what else Detroit gets in the trade. Based on the NFL draft trade value chart, Detroit could also net Cleveland's No. 104 overall pick in the fourth round, which would make up for the Lions not having a fifth-rounder.
The Browns' ugly situation at quarterback needs no introduction. The team made a colossal error with Deshaun Watson, and with the possibility that the veteran misses most or all of the 2025 campaign due to injury, that situation isn't getting any better.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
Currently, the team has Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco as starting options, so it goes without saying that Cleveland needs to explore quarterbacks in the draft and should be aggressive to nab anyone they really like.
Initially considered a Day 2 pick, at best, Dart's stock has risen to the point some experts believe he could go in the top half of the first round. While that remains to be seen, there is certainly a scenario where Dart falls to the end of the first round, where the Browns could spring for him. Cleveland may even be able to nab him when they're on the clock at No. 33 overall.
Whatever the case may be, this is one of many scenarios that could unfold for the Lions when the draft rolls around later this week.
MORE DETROIT LIONS NEWS
Jameson Williams trade pitch pairs electric receiver with $262M QB
Lions 4-round NFL mock draft: Detroit trades up for explosive receiver in Round 1
Aaron Rodgers rips ex-Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn in candid interview