Did the Detroit Lions nearly pull off a blockbuster move in the 2026 NFL Draft? New details are emerging that suggest Brad Holmes and his front office were far from passive on draft day—they were working the phones, trying to swing a deal that could have reshaped their entire class.

According to multiple reports, the Lions were among the teams aggressively pursuing a trade up to the No. 13 overall pick, which was held by the Los Angeles Rams. The target? None other than Miami edge rusher Reuben Bain Jr., a player who seemed to check every box for what Detroit looks for along the defensive front.

The buzz around Bain was real. Leading up to the draft, league insiders widely expected the talented pass rusher to slide just outside the top 10, creating a narrow window for a team like the Lions to strike. But there was also a strong belief that Bain wouldn't make it past Tampa Bay, making a trade-up a high-stakes gamble.

Unfortunately for Detroit, the deal never materialized. Reports indicate that the offers presented to the Rams were considered underwhelming, and with the draft board thinning faster than expected, the opportunity slipped away. Dallas eventually jumped into that spot, selecting Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.

Still, the key takeaway is clear: Detroit was hunting. Mike Payton of A to Z Sports believes the Lions' interest in Bain was genuine, and the attempt to move to No. 13 lines up perfectly with a last-ditch effort to leapfrog other teams and secure a high-impact edge defender.

Now, the question is whether this was a missed opportunity or a calculated decision. Brad Holmes has built his reputation on discipline as much as aggression, and the Lions have consistently avoided overpaying in trades. But for fans who love imagining what could have been, the thought of Bain lining up opposite Aidan Hutchinson is enough to keep the draft-day speculation going well into the offseason.