When the Detroit Lions traded up to take Isaac TeSlaa in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, they sent two 2026 third-round picks to the Jacksonville Jaguars as part of the deal.
TeSlaa has three catches and two touchdowns this season while playing primarily as the Lions’ No. 4 receiver behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Kalif Raymond. The team remains high on TeSlaa’s future, and he should climb the depth chart in 2026.
But that deal, last year’s trade for Za’Darius Smith and a 2023 trade for Riley Patterson have left the Lions a touch light on draft capital ahead of the NFL trade deadline Tuesday, Nov. 4.
The Lions still have at least seven picks in the 2026 draft, including their own first- and second-rounders, and are in line to receive at least one compensatory choice.
They are not expected to be overly active at the deadline, with a well-rounded roster and several players due back from injury soon, including starters D.J. Reed and Marcus Davenport. But they could look to add depth at defensive end, tight end, cornerback or offensive tackle.
Here is a list of the Lions’ current picks in 2026 and 2027. They have all their own 2028 picks, which are eligible to be traded, too:
Lions draft picks 2026 (7 or 8)
Lions draft picks 2027 (7)
Dave Birkett is the author of the book, “Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline.” Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions future draft picks: No 3rd-rounders, but still plenty of capital to trade
Reporting by Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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