For more than a decade, the position of quarterback for the Detroit Lions was never in question with longtime starter Matthew Stafford cemented under center. That changed this offseason with the blockbuster trade of Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams.
In exchange for Stafford, the Lions obtained three high draft picks including two future first-rounders and quarterback Jared Goff. And despite his former status as the number one overall selection in the 2016 NFL Draft, his two Pro Bowl bids, winning pedigree including a Super Bowl appearance, Goff’s status as the Lions’ starter in 2021 has one more obstacle to climb.
And that’s the upcoming NFL draft. Owning the seventh overall selection in the first round, there’s a strong possibility one of the highly-touted quarterback prospects falls to Detroit. Whether the Lions choose to draft a passer or not likely depends on how the team really feels about Goff’s future in the Motor City and the quality of quarterback available to them when their number is called later this week.
Yet, the narrative that being pushed by the Lions’ new regime is that Goff is their starter. Here’s how Logan Lamorandier of SI’s All Lions Fan Nation site recently responded to a mailbag question about the Lions potentially drafting a quarterback to compete with Goff.
” … taking the regime’s actions and words regarding their feelings on Goff, they are going to give him a legitimate chance to be the quarterback of the future. It’s one of the reasons why I don’t think the Lions will prioritize drafting a quarterback this year”
While the position of quarterback may not be prioritized by new general manager Brad Holmes in the upcoming draft, the Lions don’t seem prepared to rule out the possibility either. After all, who knows what will happen when the draft actually kicks off this Thursday. Perhaps a quarterback no one is expecting to fall suddenly is available when Detroit is on the clock.
You also have to consider that this stance could be a bit of a smokescreen by the new regime in Detroit. Perhaps they secretly covet one of the top quarterback prospects and may even have plans in place to trade up to draft him under the right circumstances. The Lions certainly have the future draft capital to make such a move.
In the end, whomever the Detroit Lions elect to draft early in the first round later this week will tell us how they really feel about the future of Jared Goff in Motown. And if that selection is a quarterback, it could mean Goff is the bridge player many believed he was when he was initially traded to Detroit earlier this year.