NFL Draft: Lions pick at No. 29 in 1st round for the first time ever
KANSAS CITY, MO - APRIL 28: Detroit Lions fans react to their teams selection in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft at Union Station on April 28, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
FOX 2 - Downtown Detroit will be ground zero for the 2024 NFL Draft and the center of the football universe April 25 -27. While the 89th draft in league history goes down at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza, Lions fans will be waiting a little while before going on the clock.
For the first time ever, the Lions pick at No. 29 of the first round - a slot the team has never picked from before. Twice it picked at 30 (through trades) and once at 28 after a trade – but never at number 29.
The question for the Lions becomes - can an immediate starter be plucked from late in the first round? To do this, the team must also balance between taking the best available player and looking at team weaknesses.
"When it comes to the draft, man, you can really make some mistakes when you’re trying to reach for a need and missing out on impact players," GM Brad Holmes told the media recently.
Last season, the Lions struck gold with Holmes nabbing standout running back Jahmyr Gibbs and linebacker Jack Campbell at picks 12 and 18 of the first round, star tight end Sam LaPorta and impact defensive back Brian Branch both in the second round.
In 2023, the Saints picked at 29 and selected Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee. The rookie was the fourth DT selected, earned a rotational spot, and played all 17 games, finishing with 24 tackles and 4.5 sacks.
There are 32 picks per round with a 10-minute time limit per team, meaning the anticipation will be high with all eyes on the draft board.
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Lions fans know better than most – but this rare feat of waiting until the 29th pick is uncharted territory. Traditionally, with the Lions picking much earlier, fans would joke that the draft was the highlight of their season. Those days are over, courtesy of the Lions' 12-5 NFC North Division title and a playoff march that ended a game short of the Super Bowl.
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 17: Jahvid Best #44 of the Detroit Lions rushes past the tackle of Kenny Phillips #21 of the New York Giants at New Meadowlands Stadium on October 17, 2010 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Image
In 2010 and 2004, the Lions picked from the 30th draft slot. In both cases, Detroit maneuvered into the late first-round pick via trades, and both times they selected running backs.
California's Jahvid Best was the pick in 2010 after a trade with the Vikings (with the Lions' own pick at No. 2 they chose Ndamukong Suh). Best was electric in limited time his rookie year with 1,000 combined rushing and receiving yards, but suffered two concussions in his second season. He ended up retiring early due to his post-concussion symptoms.
Detroit Lions running back Kevin Jones rushes from Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher on September 17, 2006 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears won 34 - 7. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)
In 2004, Virginia Tech's Kevin Jones was the choice at number 30 after the Lions moved up from a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs (Receiver Roy Williams was picked with the team's own first rounder). Jones would play six seasons with the Lions but never seemed to replicate the success of year one after being the third rookie running back to rush for 1,000 yards (along with Barry Sanders and Billy Simms) in team history.
Jones was hampered by injuries in his following seasons before leaving for the Bears and promptly retired soon after.
27 DECEMBER 2015: Detroit Lions offensive lineman Laken Tomlinson (72) during game action between the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions during a regular season game played at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sport
Only once have the Lions picked one slot earlier, at number 28. In 2015 the choice was Laken Tomlinson from the opposite of a college football powerhouse - Duke.
The Lions moved down in the draft order by trading with the Broncos, taking offensive guard Tomlinson. His time was short, despite earning a starting position - his tenure was nondescript.
Currently a free agent, the 32-year-old was first traded to the 49ers for a fifth-round pick in 2019 and later signed a free-agent contract with the Jets, before being cut in 2024.
Stay with FOX 2 for everything NFL Draft-related as we march towards April 25 and throughout the draft.