Detroit Lions received conditional 2022 seventh-round pick…
Detroit Lions received conditional 2022 seventh-round pick (not conveyed) from New England Patriots. Detroit’s return was a conditional 2022 seventh-round pick, and the condition was never satisfied. The pick was not conveyed, so the Lions received no realized draft value from the transaction. That outcome supports a D grade for Detroit Lions when the trade is measured by the football value actually realized after the exchange.
Detroit Lions Received
- pick conditional 2022 seventh-round pick (not conveyed)
New England Patriots Received
- player Michael Jackson
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
On 2020-08-09, Detroit Lions received conditional 2022 seventh-round pick (not conveyed), while New England Patriots received Michael Jackson. The exchange is evaluated by the regular-season service and draft outcomes each club actually received from those assets. Later player movement matters only when it directly clarifies what became of the original return, keeping the comparison tied to the transaction itself.
Detroit Lions Return
Detroit Lions received conditional 2022 seventh-round pick (not conveyed) from New England Patriots. Detroit’s return was a conditional 2022 seventh-round pick, and the condition was never satisfied. The pick was not conveyed, so the Lions received no realized draft value from the transaction. That outcome supports a D grade for Detroit Lions when the trade is measured by the football value actually realized after the exchange.
Boston/New England Patriots Return
New England Patriots received Michael Jackson from Detroit Lions. New England acquired Michael Jackson but released him before the 2020 regular season. He therefore did not provide the Patriots with regular-season value from this trade. That outcome supports a D grade for New England Patriots when the trade is measured by the football value actually realized after the exchange.
Value in Hindsight
Neither club ultimately received usable transaction value: New England moved on from Jackson before the season, and Detroit never received the conditional selection. That distinction is the central reason the grades separate as Detroit Lions D and New England Patriots D. The verdict does not require either side to have landed a star; it asks which club converted its side of the exchange into the better supported football return.
Final Verdict
The final call is Even Trade. Detroit Lions earns D, and New England Patriots earns D. Those grades reflect the documented package, the playing time or draft value that followed, and the relative durability of each club’s return. For a minor transaction, the evidence supports that level of separation without overstating the long-term importance of the deal.