Trade down scenario includes Detroit Lions selecting star Michigan player

Trade down.

Trade down.

Trade down.

I cannot emphasize how badly I want the Detroit Lions to trade out of the No. 7 slot in the 2021 NFL Draft. I want them to do this not only to obtain more draft capital, but so that they do not get suckered into selecting a wide receiver at No. 7.

That being said, Dave Birkett released an article on Thursday where he looks at three trade-down scenarios and one of those scenarios has the Lions moving down and selecting Michigan DE Kwity Paye.

Here is that scenario, via the Detroit Free Press:

Scenario 2: Lions trade No. 7 pick to New England Patriots for No. 15, second-round pick No. 46 and a fourth-round pick in 2022.

Why Paye: The Lions are moving down a tier of prospect by going to No. 15, but the drop may be worth it given the extra compensation netted. In the middle of Round 1, the Lions can work on upgrading their defense, and here they get the choice of the No. 2 cornerback (Caleb Farley), No. 2 linebacker (Jamin Davis or Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah) or No. 2 edge rusher available.

I went with Paye based largely on positional value here. Pass rushers are more difficult to find — and expensive to keep — than linebackers, and the Lions spent a high first-round pick on a cornerback last season. I don’t know that Paye can play outside linebacker, if the Lions truly want to go to a 3-4 scheme, but he has some versatility up front and gives the Lions another high-upside pass rusher to go with Romeo Okwara and Trey Flowers, and perhaps eventually take over for the latter.

Nation, is this a trade you would like to see the Lions make?