(WXYZ) — The Detroit Lions have reportedly had "a lot of pre-draft contact" with Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons.
Reminder: You can watch the draft beginning at 8 p.m. Thursday on Channel 7
ESPN's Dan Graziano reported that the team prefers to trade back 2-3 spots and still get either Simmons, Ohio State CB Jeff Okudah or Auburn DT Derrick Brown.
I am told Lions have had a lot of pre-draft contact with Clemson's Isaiah Simmons, who is in the mix for them at No. 3 along with Jeff Okudah, Derrick Brown, others. Lions would prefer to trade back 2-3 spots and still get one from that group, but it's unclear whether they can.
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) April 23, 2020
Simmons, who played four years for Clemson, was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and awarded the 2019 Dick Butkus Award for the nation’s best linebacker.
At 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds, the redshirt junior had a 4.39 40-yard dash.
Last season, he had 104 tackles, 16.5 tackls for loss, 8 sacks and three interceptions for the Tigers in 15 games. He also added eight pass deflections, one fumble recovery and two forced fumbles.
Ian Rapoport also reported that the Lions have been engaged with multiple teams about possibly trading out of the No. 3 pick in Thursday's first round.
