There's plenty of Jameson Williams trade buzz surrounding the Lions as the NFL Draft approaches, but ultimately it would be a total shock if he was moved, no matter how much it's fun to speculate about. But that doesn't mean there are no Lions players on the trade block.
After a year that saw injuries and poor play leave them very thin in the secondary, the Lions' defensive backfield is shaping up to look pretty good in 2025. That will be especially true if they land a top corner in the draft like they're being projected to.
And that means slot corner Amik Robertson is totally expendable.
Amik Robertson Could Be on Lions' Trade Block During NFL Draft
Robertson is heading into the final year of the two-year contract he signed with the Lions last offseason, and moving him for some late-round draft capital would make a lot of sense. The salary cap implications of trading Robertson are small ($2.2 million in dead cap, but $4.3 million in savings), and getting some return now is a lot better than having him walk in free agency next offseason.
Robertson's play was nothing special in 2024. PFF graded him out at 57th among 116 qualifying cornerbacks, and even that is overselling his impact a little bit. He benefited from having an elite run defense grade, while his coverage grade was a little lower (62.0). Run defense from your corners is nice, but it can't come at the expense of coverage skills.
And already this offseason, the Lions have brought in a replacement for Robertson.
Avonte Maddox is coming off a down year in his final campaign with the Philadelphia Eagles, but the 29-year-old did really come into his own down the stretch. He graded out above 75.0 for the final two games of the regular season, and while he didn't get much playing time in the postseason, he did grade out well when he played.
His peak seasons in 2022 and 2023 were also significantly better than anything Robertson has shown at the NFL level.
With a viable replacement signed already this offseason (not to mention already having a safety who is elite in slot coverage in Brian Branch), Robertson is expendable, and Lions fans shouldn't be surprised if he's gone from Detroit before the weekend is up.