We've officially hit the point in the NFL offseason when we evaluate what teams still need to improve their rosters and who they can use to improve those rosters.
Bleacher Report published an article on Thursday covering every team's top roster needs and who their best trade assets are. To no surprise, the Lions' No. 1 need was a pass rusher, with a concern for Hutchinson's ability to immediately get back to his dominant ways.
The most interesting part of this article came with who Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report listed as the Lions' top trade assets: Three young players, recently drafted by the Lions.
Bleacher Report lists 3 young players as potential Lions trade pieces
Jameson Williams
To no surprise, Jamo finds himself on this list. It has been heavily rumored that Jameson Williams may be on the trade block for the Lions, with a huge contract looming. Despite the rumors, the Lions have given the 1,000-yard receiver his fifth-year option to stay with the team.
Despite Holmes denying the rumors of trading Williams, Jamo is clearly playing for a contract in 2025 and needs to build on a great 2024 season. According to Spotrac, Williams has a market value of nearly $20 million annually, which would make him the 20th-highest-paid receiver in football.
Williams' first two seasons were riddled with injuries and suspensions, but after playing the entirety of 2024, Williams emerged as a star. While I don't think it's impossible that he is traded, I find it highly unlikely that we see Jamo be moved in a deal prior to or during the 2025 season.
Levi Onwuzurike
Onwuzurike is a versatile defensive lineman for the Lions, who finds himself playing on both the inside and the outside in Detroit. He was a guy I expected the Lions to lose to free agency this offseason, but he ended up signing a one-year, $5.5 million deal with Detroit.
The Lions' second-round pick in 2021 ended up having a very solid season in 2024, especially aided by the plethora of defensive injuries for Detroit. According to PFF, Onwuzurike was graded 33rd/219 interior defensive lineman, putting him in the top 15% at his position.
If it had not been for an encouraging 2024, Onwuzurike is probably on another team right now, but his re-signing with the Lions leads me to find it unlikely he will be traded. With this being the only year on his deal, he has this season to prove himself to the Lions or other teams for 2026 free agency.
Malcolm Rodriguez
The Lions' sixth-round draft steal in 2022 is the final player on this list. Rodriguez is coming off a torn ACL in November and probably won't be available for a few weeks into the season. Rodriguez was forced to play a bigger role with the Alex Anzalone injury, and was playing well until the injury.
Rodriguez was a star in HBO's "Hard Knocks" in 2022 and went on to be a very solid rotational linebacker and special teamer for Detroit. The former sixth-round pick was having his best season before the injury last season, grading 9th/189 linebackers in run defense, according to PFF.
Entering the final year of his rookie deal, coming off a torn ACL, I once again can not see Rodriguez being traded. It doesn't make sense for other teams to trade for a rotational linebacker coming off a torn ACL in his final contract year. Hopefully, he stays with Detroit and makes a comeback in October.
