Bill Barnwell’s latest hypothetical trade exercise comes with the usual giant asterisk: the Lions are not actually moving Penei Sewell, Aidan Hutchinson or the rest of their young core. But as a thought experiment, ESPN’s writer laid out which players around the league would fetch at least a first-round pick if they were ever put on the market - and Detroit showed up in a big way.
Barnwell included seven Lions among the 155 players he считает worthy of that kind of value, which tied Detroit with the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams and the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks for the most on the list.
At the top of the Detroit group are Sewell and Hutchinson, both placed in Barnwell’s “Two first-round picks and more” tier. He described them as elite players who have been that way “roughly since they've entered the NFL” and are now in their prime. Sewell’s switch from right tackle to left tackle came up in the evaluation, but Barnwell added, “I don't have many concerns about his game translating over to the blind side.”
The next tier down, “One first-round pick and more,” included Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Barnwell treated Gibbs as a rare running back who clears the first-round bar because of his “age, skill set and contract situation.” He also noted that even a big-money extension for Gibbs would still look more like the kind of deal Jakobi Meyers signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in December, only scaled to the running back market.
St. Brown’s place on the list is another reminder of how much value Brad Holmes found in the draft. Taken in the fourth round in 2021, he’s now viewed as one of the league’s top receivers after piling up All-Pro recognition early in his career.
Barnwell’s “One first-round pick” group for Detroit featured Jared Goff, Jack Campbell and first-round rookie Blake Miller. Miller’s inclusion is straightforward given where he was selected this year.
Goff’s spot reflects the kind of passing production he has delivered in Detroit as a top-ten quarterback, while Campbell’s valuation comes with a comparison to Roquan Smith, who was traded for a second-round pick during his first First-Team All-Pro season. If that’s the baseline for elite off-ball linebackers, Barnwell argued, Campbell can justify a first.
The list doesn’t stop there. Barnwell’s honorable mentions for Detroit were Brian Branch, Sam LaPorta, Jameson Williams and Tyleik Williams. He also mentioned Alim McNeill, though McNeill’s contract and his underwhelming return from injury last season kept Barnwell from putting him firmly in the group.
Branch’s value has already shifted from last year, when Barnwell had him in the “one and more” tier. A ruptured Achilles late last season changed that, even though Barnwell still views him as one of the league’s best safeties when healthy.
Kerby Joseph also saw his stock dip after being listed as a “one first-round” player a year ago following his All-Pro season; injuries limited him to six games in 2025, and his long-term health is still a question as training camp approaches. Terrion Arnold was in that same tier a year ago too, but his release late last month after his arrest sent his value tumbling.
It’s all theoretical, of course. The Lions are not expected to deal Hutchinson or St.
Brown anytime soon, if ever. But the exercise does underline one clear thing: almost every Detroit player Barnwell mentioned was drafted by the team, a sign that Holmes and his front office have built a reputation as strong evaluators.
Even so, it would take a lot more than two first-rounders to make up for the pain of trading Sewell.
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