MOBILE, Ala. — Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes will get his first up-close look at three of the top quarterback prospects in this year’s draft when Senior Bowl practices begin Tuesday.
“They’re all different,” Holmes said. “They all offer different flavors and capabilities and what was kind of cool about all three of those quarterbacks, especially on our roster is that they’ve all kind of battled some kind of adversity and I thought that that was pretty cool.”
Potential first-round picks Sam Howell of North Carolina and Malik Willis of Liberty are on the Lions’ American team roster this week, as is record-setting Western Kentucky quarterback Bailey Zappe, a projected mid-round pick.
Howell was pegged as a possible top-10 pick before the season, but had an inconsistent year after losing his top skill players to the NFL.
Willis is the most athletic quarterback in the draft, but he played against lesser competition at Liberty and struggled at times with interceptions.
And Zappe set single-season records for passing yards (5,977) and passing touchdowns (62), but played only FBS season as a transfer from Houston Baptist.
Pitt’s Kenny Pickett, Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder and Nevada’s Carson Strong are the quarterbacks on the National team.
Matt Corral of Ole Miss is the only top quarterback prospect not in Mobile this week.
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The Lions are expected to consider top edge rushers Aidan Hutchinson of Michigan and Kayvon Thibodeaux of Oregon with the No. 2 pick in the draft, but could look for their quarterback of the future later in Round 1.
No quarterbacks currently project as top-five picks, and Holmes said he does not consider this an underrated quarterback class.
“I wouldn’t say it’s underrated,” he said. “It’s always, everything is case by case. Everybody has their own plight, so I wouldn’t say underrated. I think every team is looking for a different — I always say, all 32 teams have 32 different boards and they have different ways where they evaluate each position. But I think each week in particular, for all those quarterbacks in this game, it’s going to be big for them.”
Mum’s the word
Holmes declined to say if Lions have interviewed any outside candidates for offensive coordinator since the end of the season, or if head coach Dan Campbell has made a decision on whether or not he will call offensive plays in 2022
Campbell, who took over play calling for the since-fired Anthony Lynn at midseason, said in January he was contemplating retaining those duties next season.
Tight ends coach Ben Johnson, who is in line for a promotion to offensive coordinator, also is a candidate to call plays. Johnson will serve as offensive coordinator for the American team during this week’s game, when Campbell will work in more of an advisory capacity.
Lions assistant head coach Duce Staley is head coach of the American team this week, and secondary coach Aubrey Pleasant is defensive coordinator.
“All those guys, they are proven developers, they’re great teachers and it’s an opportunity for them to kind of coordinate and kind of see from that big-picture vantage point,” Holmes said. “It’s a little bit more responsibility on the plate but I know that they’re up to the task, I know they’re more qualified to do it and I know they’ll have success.”
Vegas, baby
Lions left guard Jonah Jackson will play in this week’s Pro Bowl in Las Vegas as an injury replacement for Washington’s Brandon Scherff.
Jackson, the second alternate at guard on the NFC team, called the Pro Bowl “a good honor” in a December interview with the Free Press.
“Definitely feel like people are starting to take notice of my play, but it’s just a stepping stone of what I want to do,” he said. “I want to be the first guy up and hopefully down the line we’re able to get that done, but I’ll take it for now.”
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.