Matthew Stafford trade final results: Here’s what Detroit Lions netted
It’s been over two years since the Detroit Lions traded franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford. We know the way things played out for the Los Angeles Rams: Stafford helped them win a Super Bowl in his first season in LA, but the team has subsequently tanked. Undoubtedly, the Rams have no regrets about the trade—it helped them accomplish what they felt they couldn’t do with Jared Goff.
But how do things look for the Detroit Lions? All of the draft picks from that trade have now been spent, traded, and spent again. So with the dust settled, let’s check in on how the Lions did. First, a reminder of what the trade terms were:
Rams got:
QB Matthew Stafford
Lions got:
QB Jared Goff
2021 third-round pick (101 overall)
2022 first-round pick
2023 first-round pick
Now, let’s dive into what the Lions got for those draft picks:
2021 third-round pick
The Lions did not use this pick in a trade. They simply added DB Ifeatu Melifonwu.
2022 first-round pick (32nd overall)
The Lions packaged this pick with Picks 34 and 66 in a deal with the Vikings for the 12th overall pick and the 46th overall pick. Picks 12 and 46 were used on WR Jameson Williams and DL Josh Paschal, respectively.
2023 first-round pick (sixth overall)
The Lions traded back to the 12th overall pick and got Picks 34 (second round) and 168 (fifth round) in return. They also sent Pick 81 away in this trade.
12th pick:
The Lions used this pick to select RB Jahmyr Gibbs.
34th pick
The Lions used this pick to select TE Sam LaPorta.
168th pick
The Lions packaged this pick with 122 (fourth round) and 139 (fifth round) to trade up to the third round (Pick 96) and select DT Brodric Martin.
Total net trades
Let’s package all of these trades together and see what the Lions got, and what they lost:
Lions lost:
QB Matthew Stafford
2022 34th overall pick (second round)
2022 66th overall pick (third round)
2023 81st overall pick (third round)
2023 122nd overall pick (fourth round)
2023 139th overall pick (fifth round)
Lions gained:
QB Jared Goff
WR Jameson Williams (first round, 12th overall)
RB Jahmyr Gibbs (first round, 12th overall)
TE Sam LaPorta (second round, 34th overall)
DL Josh Paschal (second round, 46th overall)
DT Brodric Martin (third round, 96th overall)
DB Ifeatu Melifonwu (third round, 101st overall)
Or, simplified:
Lions lost:
Matthew Stafford
1 second-round pick
2 third-round picks
1 fourth-round pick
1 fifth-round pick
Lions gained:
Jared Goff
2 first-round picks
2 second-round picks
2 third-round picks
While the picks have been made, the “winner” of this trade won’t truly be known for several years from now. Of all the players the Lions acquired in this trade, only Melifonwu has been in the league for more than a season. And while that doesn’t look great yet, it’s also the lowest asset they got in this trade.
Everyone else has the opportunity to prove themselves in the NFL. Let’s hope they make the trade more than worth it.
Source: Pride Of Detroit
