The Lions entered the 2023 NFL season with a lot of hype. Thus far, they have lived up to it.
Entering their Week 8 “Monday Night Football” clash with the Raiders, the Lions have a 5-2 record. They are in first place in the NFC North and sport one of the best records in the entire league. With a win over the Raiders on Monday, they would be just one game back of the Eagles for the NFL’s best record.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell deserve a lot of credit for what they have accomplished in Detroit. The former has added a lot of talent to the team via the NFL Draft while the latter has established a culture of effort and accountability.
Of course, the Lions — like every other NFL team — still have some weaknesses that they may want to address before the 2023 NFL trade deadline passes. Their defense could use some reinforcements while their strong offense could use one more high-end piece to put it over the top.
For what exactly should the Lions be looking? It’s all about finding value, adding depth and, potentially, taking a big swing to bring this already strong team to the next level. Here’s a look at some of the targets they could consider to do that as the NFL’s 2023 trade deadline approaches.
Lions trade deadline needs
The Lions have a very good roster, but injuries have whittled away some of the team’s depth and talent at some positions. Below are the positions that are most likely to be addressed by Detroit if the team looks to make a trade deadline deal.
Donte Jackson, CB, Panthers
There won’t be a lot of cornerbacks available ahead of the 2023 NFL trade deadline, so Jackson represents one of the best players on the market. The 27-year-old hasn’t always been consistent in coverage during his NFL career but he has great speed — as evidenced by his 4.32-second 40-yard dash at the 2018 NFL Combine — and has logged multiple interceptions in each of his first five seasons.
Jackson hasn’t intercepted a pass yet in 2023, but the Panthers have largely struggled on that side of the ball. He could improve with a better supporting cast with the Lions and could emerge as the No. 2 cornerback that Detroit hoped Moseley would be.
Kaiir Elam, CB, Bills
Elam was a first-round pick by the Bills in 2022 but he hasn’t lived up to expectations thus far. He has only been active for three games in 2023 and has allowed a passer rating of 109.5 this season, per Pro Football Focus. A fresh start could benefit the 6-1 playmaker, so the Lions may be content to buy low on the 22-year-old.
