Historic Aidan Hutchinson contract extension well worth it for Lions
Reacting to the Aidan Hutchinson contract extension with the Detroit Lions and what it means, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025.
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 own picks: Rounds 1, 2, 4, 5.
- Lions acquired picks: Round 6 (from Jaguars for Tim Patrick), Round 6 (from Jaguars for TeSlaa), Round 7 (from Browns).
- Lions traded picks: 3rd round (to Jaguars for TeSlaa), 3rd round compensatory (to Jaguars for TeSlaa), 6th round (to Browns for Smith), 7th round to Jaguars (for Patterson).
- Lions expected extra picks: Per OverTheCap.com, Lions currently project to get a fourth-round compensatory choice for net free agent losses from 2025.
Lions draft picks 2027 (7)
- Lions own picks: Rounds 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
- Lions acquired picks: None.
- Lions traded picks: None.
Dave Birkett is the author of the book, “Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline.” Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
