When a team's general manager flashes a grin while admitting they tried to move up in the first round, you know there's a good story behind it. Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes did just that after the team selected Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller, and now we're getting a clearer picture of which teams were on the other end of those calls.

"We did, yeah," Holmes said with a knowing smile. "Look, we talked to teams up—way up—and we just kinda talk about and try to see if we can be at peace with what the capital is that you'd have to expend. But, yeah, we definitely explored strongly about trading up."

Holmes added that once the Los Angeles Rams made their surprising quarterback pick, he started feeling confident the Lions could land their target without surrendering extra draft capital. "Just kinda seeing how it started to fall, probably about when we got to about right after LA took the quarterback, I felt pretty good that we might be able to just get Blake."

Now we know at least one—and possibly two—of the teams Detroit tried to negotiate with. According to The Athletic's Nate Atkins, the Rams were one of those teams. Los Angeles, who raised eyebrows by drafting Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, simply wasn't impressed enough by Detroit's offer to pull the trigger.

"The Detroit Lions had interest in moving up, a team source said," Atkins reported, "but the return didn't excite in a draft that thinned out considerably by Day 3 due to so many college players returning for name, image and likeness compensation."

The other potential trade partner? The Baltimore Ravens. The Athletic's Mike Silver, who spent draft weekend with the Ravens organization, uncovered a fascinating detail: Baltimore thought they had a deal in place to trade back, only to have the other team back out at the last moment.

Ravens GM Eric DeCosta described the situation, noting he had a deal worked out with an unnamed team that would have kept Baltimore picking in the teens while adding extra fourth-round picks in each of the next two drafts. While DeCosta didn't name the team, the timing and circumstances certainly point toward Detroit as the potential partner that got cold feet.

For Lions fans, this behind-the-scenes drama adds another layer to an already intriguing draft night. Whether it was the Rams or the Ravens—or both—the Lions were clearly aggressive in trying to move up, even if they ultimately stayed put and landed their guy.