Myles Garrett, one of the best pass-rushers in the league, officially requested a trade from the Cleveland Browns on Monday. Since then, there has been no shortage of speculation about Garrett possibly landing with the Detroit Lions.
The request is not completely shocking considering the Browns have made the playoffs just twice in Garrett’s eight-year career. Still, when a player of this magnitude wants to be moved, you can be assured that most, if not all, other NFL teams will be interested.
The Lions are one of the teams that should seriously pursue Garrett. The team desperately needs to add a reliable pass-rusher opposite Aidan Hutchinson. When Hutchinson went down with a season-ending injury in 2024, the unit struggled to get much pressure and no other Lion managed more than four sacks.
Per Over the Cap, the Lions are projected to have around $46 million in cap space, so fitting Garrett’s $20 million cap number in is possible. But what would a trade package for Garrett look like?
Dianna Russini of The Athletic, spoke with an anonymous NFL general manager who offered an idea. This general manager also scoffed at the idea of a deal including multiple first-round selections, saying that is “not happening.”
The general manager suggested one first-round pick and one second-round pick, or a first-round pick and two third-round selections, plus a player.
One NFL GM on what a trade for Myles Garrett could look like:
“Probably a 1+. Can’t wait for the
“It will be 3 1s” crowd. Not happening.1 and a 2. 1 and 2 3s. Throw a player in there.” https://t.co/xGRlikiwr2
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) February 3, 2025
Meanwhile, ESPN’s Adam Schefter offered up a comparison to the deal the Chicago Bears put together to land Khalil Mack from the Raiders in 2018.
In that deal, the Bears gave up two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and a sixth-round pick for Mack, a second-round pick, and a conditional fifth-round pick.
Like Garrett, Mack was arguably the best pass-rusher in the league at that point, but Mack was only 27 years old at the time of the deal while Garrett will turn 30 during the 2025 season.
A potential trade comp: When 27-year-old Khalil Mack was traded from Oakland to Chicago, the Bears gave up two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and a sixth-round pick for Mack, a second-round pick, and a conditional fifth-round pick.
The 29-year-old Myles Garrett, coming… https://t.co/BPPVMYJFbv
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 3, 2025
So, the consensus is that the Browns will require at least one first-round pick, and likely a combination of another pick or two and a quality player.
To keep it simple, the Lions could offer their first and second-round selections in the 2025 NFL Draft and possibly add a 2026 third-round selection. Or, the Lions could offer a 2025 first-round pick and a 2026 first-round pick considering the team only has six selections in 2025.
The Lions do not have a third-round pick in 2025, so trading for Garrett could mean the team doesn’t pick until the fourth round. This seems unlikely, so there’s probably a better chance of the team using this year’s first and some combination of next year’s picks to make it work.
It may seem like a steep price for an aging pass-rusher, but Garrett is still one of the league’s best at his position and showed no signs of slowing down in 2024.
The defender has earned first-team All-Pro honors four times, been selected to six Pro Bowls, and won Defensive Player of the Year in 2023. In 2024, Garrett racked up double-digit sacks for the seventh-straight season, and his 14 sacks ranked second in the NFL.
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