Myles Garrett to the Lions Without Mortgaging the Future? Here’s How It Works

Forget the two-first-round-pick packages floating around. There’s a path to landing Myles Garrett in Detroit that doesn’t handicap Brad Holmes’ draft magic — and it actually makes sense for both sides.

The Myles Garrett sweepstakes keep heating up, and the Lions are right in the middle of it. But here’s the thing — you don’t need to blow up your entire draft capital to make this happen.

A realistic package looks like this: Detroit sends a 2025 first-round pick, a 2025 fourth-round pick, and a 2026 fifth-round pick to Cleveland for Garrett. That’s it. One first, not two.

Why This Works for the Browns

Cleveland is in a brutal spot right now. They’re $40 million over the cap with a franchise quarterback situation that’s… well, let’s just say Deshaun Watson isn’t exactly what they signed up for. All that guaranteed money is circling the drain, and eventually they’re going to need to find their next QB — whether that’s this year or next.

This trade arms them with the capital to do exactly that. A first-round pick gives them flexibility to either draft a quarterback or trade up for one. The additional Day 2 and Day 3 picks help fill roster holes while they navigate their cap nightmare.

The Browns don’t have leverage here, and everybody knows it. Garrett wants out. The cap situation is dire. Holding out for two firsts from a team that’s already built to win? Good luck with that.

Why This Works for Detroit

Here’s the key point that gets lost in all the Garrett hype: you don’t want to handicap yourself going forward when you have a Brad Holmes who’s elite at drafting.

Holmes has built this roster through the draft. Hutchinson, Gibbs, LaPorta, Branch — hit after hit after hit. Giving up two first-round picks means two fewer chances for Holmes to add premium talent on rookie contracts. That’s how you kill a championship window before it fully opens.

One first? That’s a different conversation. You’re adding a proven elite edge rusher — a guy who’s been the best defensive player in the league at times — while still keeping enough draft capital to sustain the roster long-term.

And let’s be real: Aidan Hutchinson is coming back from injury. Za’Darius Smith is solid, but imagine pairing Hutch with Myles freaking Garrett on the opposite side. Offensive coordinators would have nightmares scheming against that pass rush.

The Bottom Line

This isn’t about whether the Lions should go get Garrett. Of course they should. The question is whether they should overpay when they don’t have to.

Cleveland’s desperate. The asking price should reflect that. One first, a fourth, and a late-round pick gets it done without gutting the future.

Brad Holmes didn’t build this thing to blow it all on one move. He built it to sustain it. This trade lets Detroit add a game-wrecker AND keep the machine running.

The Takeaways

• One first-round pick should be enough for Garrett — Cleveland’s cap and QB situation gives them zero leverage
• Giving up two firsts would handicap Brad Holmes’ draft-based roster building that got the Lions here
• Pairing Garrett with a healthy Aidan Hutchinson creates a nightmare pass rush for opposing offenses

Watch the full segment on YouTube: KG Creates a Win-Win Myles Garrett trade between the Lions and Browns.