Revealed: Names of the top three (3) Detroit Lions players listed as potential trade in 2025

We have now reached the stage in the NFL offseason where we are able to assess which teams still require improvement to their rosters and which players they can employ to enhance those rosters.

One requirement was a pass rusher, as there was apprehension regarding Hutchinson’s capacity to instantly revert to his dominant form.

The most intriguing aspect of this article was the list of the Lions’ top trade assets, as compiled by Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report: The Lions have recently drafted three youthful players.

Jameson Williams

Jamo’s inclusion on this list is unsurprising. With a substantial contract on the horizon, there has been considerable speculation that Jameson Williams may be traded to the Lions. The Lions have granted the 1,000-yard receiver his fifth-year option to remain with the team, despite the allegations.

Holmes denied the rumors of trading Williams; however, it is evident that Jamo is competing for a contract in 2025 and must capitalize on his exceptional 2024 season. Williams’ market value annually is nearly $20 million, according to Spotrac. This would rank him as the 20th-highest-paid receiver in the NFL.

Williams’ initial two seasons were plagued by injuries and suspensions; however, he emerged as a success after playing the entire 2024 season. Although I do not believe it is impossible for him to be traded, I believe it is exceedingly unlikely that Jamo will be part of a transaction before or during the 2025 season.

Levi Onwuzurike

Onwuzurike is a defensive lineman for the Lions who is capable of playing on both the inside and outside in Detroit. I anticipated that the Lions would lose him to free agency this offseason; however, he ultimately agreed to a one-year, $5.5 million contract with Detroit after all.

In 2024, the Lions’ second-round draft choice in 2021 had an exceptionally strong season, which was significantly enhanced by Detroit’s numerous defensive injuries. Onwuzurike was ranked 33rd out of 219 interior defensive linemen by PFF, which places him in the top 15% of his position.

Onwuzurike would likely be on another team at this time if it were not for an encouraging 2024; however, his re-signing with the Lions suggests that it is unlikely that he will be traded. He has the opportunity to establish himself in the eyes of the Lions or other teams in anticipation of his 2026 free agency, as this is the sole year of his contract.

Malcolm Rodriguez

The final player on this list is the Lions’ sixth-round draft gem in 2022. Rodriguez, who sustained a damaged ACL in November, is anticipated to be unavailable for the initial weeks of the season. The Alex Anzalone injury necessitated Rodriguez to assume a more significant role, and he was performing admirably prior to the injury.

Rodriguez rose to prominence in 2022 as a protagonist of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” and subsequently established himself as a highly effective rotational linebacker and special teamer for the Detroit Lions. According to PFF, the former sixth-round pick was experiencing his most successful season prior to the injury last season, ranking 9th out of 189 linebackers in run defense.

Entering the final year of his rookie contract, coming off a torn ACL, I once again can not see Rodriguez being traded. It is illogical for other teams to trade for a rotational linebacker who is in the final year of his contract and has recently suffered a torn ACL. It is my sincere hope that he remains with Detroit and makes a successful return in October.