Detroit Lions looking to add more picks for 2018 NFL draft

ORLANDO — No team has fewer picks in next month’s NFL draft than the Detroit Lions, but general manager Bob Quinn said Monday he’s “absolutely’ in the market to acquire more choices.

“That’s something that’ll definitely be in the talks I’d say a week or two leading up to the draft, try to get more picks,” Quinn said at the NFL’s annual meeting. “But it’s easier said than done.”

The Lions are one of five teams with just six draft picks this season.

They pick 20th in the first round, the lowest pick of non-playoff teams, and have one choice in every remaining round but the sixth. Last year, the Lions traded their sixth-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams for left tackle Greg Robinson.

Quinn has been an active trader in his two seasons as Lions GM, completing seven deals – six of which involved draft picks. Just one of those trades, however, has come on draft day.

Last year, the Lions moved down 11 spots in the third round and picked up an extra fourth-round pick from the New England Patriots. They took wide receiver Kenny Golladay with the final pick of the third round, and used their extra fourth-round choice on linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin.

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The Lions have options to acquire more picks beyond simply moving down in next month’s draft. They might be able to fetch an extra pick for a player who no longer fits their system, and they have two additional 2019 draft choices – selections in the fifth and sixth rounds – from the trades of Laken Tomlinson and Johnson Bademosi.

The Buffalo Bills, with six picks in the top 100, and Green Bay Packers (12 picks overall) are among the most pick-rich team, while the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, New York Jets and Tennessee Titans are the other teams with just six draft picks.

“Sometime (trades) really can’t happen until draft day or draft weekend,” Quinn said. “But we’ll have conversations leading up to it. The more the better.”

Johnny who?

The Lions had two scouts on hand for the University of San Diego’s pro day last week, their West Coast area scout Cary Conklin, and Lance Newmark, their former director of college scouting and current director of player personnel.

While neither’s presence was especially notable – Newmark is a San Diego native who has historically spent time at West Coast pro days – the San Diego pro day drew extra attention because of the presence of quarterback Johnny Manziel, who quarterbacked the workout.

The Lions were not there because of Manziel, the first-round draft bust out of Texas A&M, and Quinn said he hasn’t even received a report on how Manziel looked.

“Honestly, I have not talked to them about that,” Quinn said. “I read that he was there. Didn’t get any special notes one way or the other about his performance.”

Contact Dave Birkett: dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett. Download our Lions Xtra app for free on Apple and Android!