For the Detroit Lions to trade up in the 2024 NFL draft, they will have to depart with draft capital. The problem, though, is the Lions don’t have a ton of draft capital like they did the last two years.
So, to move up the board, perhaps departing with a veteran rather than precious draft capital could be a solution. On April 16, AtoZ Sports’ Mike Payton proposed wide receiver Kalif Raymond as a veteran who could be expendable.
Payton labeled Raymond one of three Lions players who could be traded during the 2024 NFL draft.
“I don’t want to see Kalif Raymond go just like you don’t, but the fact of the matter is that his usage really dropped off in 2023 and the Lions could get what they used to get from Raymond out of Jameson Williams,” Payton wrote. “Couple that with the belief that the Lions will more than likely draft a receiver and guys like Donovan Peoples-Jones and Antoine Green’s roles should be bigger.
“The Lions also signed Tre’Quan Smith before free agency and he was solid veteran contributor for the Saints when Dan Campbell was there.
“Raymond is the Lions punt returner, but they do have Maurice Alexander on the roster as well and he has a decent history of being a return man in the NFL and UFL.”
Raymond posted 35 catches for 489 receiving yards and 1 touchdown in 2023. He also returned 29 punts for 331 yards.
But Raymond saw his targets drop from 64 in 2022 to 44 last season thanks in large part to the emergence of rookies Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs.
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