This is the first part of our series previewing the Detroit Lions’ positional needs heading into the NFL draft, which is scheduled for April 24-26 in Green Bay. Today: Quarterback.
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Projected starter: Jared Goff
Reserves: Hendon Hooker, Kyle Allen, Jake Fromm
Notable departures: Teddy Bridgewater
Top quarterback prospects: Cam Ward (Miami Fl.), Shedeur Sanders (Colorado)
First-round fits for Detroit: None.
Day 2-3 prospects: Jalen Milroe (Alabama), Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss), Will Howard (Ohio State), Dillon Gabriel (Oregon), Tyler Shough (Louisville), Riley Leonard (Notre Dame), Quinn Ewers (Texas), Kyle McCord (Syracuse), Kurtis Rourke (Indiana)
Late-round fits: Ewers, McCord
Ben’s prediction: The Lions do nothing at quarterback and enter the offseason program and training camp with Hendon Hooker, Kyle Allen and Jake Fromm fighting for the roster spots behind Jared Goff.
Breakdown: When running through those names of quarterback prospects for this preview, there are some intriguing names that should be there in the middle and later rounds.
But the Detroit Lions are good at this moment, with Jared Goff entrenched as the franchise quarterback. Hendon Hooker and Kyle Allen are set for a solid battle for the QB2 gig, while Jake Fromm is back after spending the year on the team’s practice squad.
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Hooker is a recent third-round pick who has two years left on his rookie contract. Allen is a seven-year pro with 19 starts under his belt, and the Lions want to see him push Hooker to be even better.
“The best way to help guys really reach their full potential is competition,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said of the QB2 job. “ You can say things. You can try to, the best you can, prop them up.
“But at some point, man, you just gotta go compete, and it’s him or you. I anticipate Hooker is gonna compete. That’s what he does, and I would see him taking another step up.”
As for the NFL draft, Cam Ward appears to be the consensus top pick for the Tennessee Titans as the top quarterback prospect. Shedeur Sanders feels locked in as QB2, as well, with top-five potential to go with his talented arm and household last name.
Ward is an ultra-talented, risk-taking gunslinger who took another step forward with his move to Miami. Sanders is a clean, supremely accurate quarterback who has a better arm than he gets credit for.
Outside of those two, Jaxson Dart is the only other quarterback to earn some first-round projections as a potential riser, with Ward and Sanders expected to go early.
Dart has some playmaking ability and a ton of experience as a three-year starter for Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss. He grew in a ton of categories in his final season, with career bests in completion percentage (69.3%), yards (4,279), touchdown passes (29), yards per attempt (10.8) and rating (180.7).
It will be interesting to see if a team waiting for the Aaron Rodgers saga to unfold or one with an aging quarterback makes a move at Dart or Jalen Milroe. Those two quarterbacks feel like the best options past Ward and Sanders.
As for the Lions and what might fit what they’re looking for, if someone like Quinn Ewers or Kyle McCord were to fall deep into the draft, then they should think long and hard.
Hooker has two years left on his rookie deal. He lost his QB2 role in the playoffs to a quarterback fresh out of retirement after being deemed “not ready.” Allen is a journeyman who doesn’t move the needle, so if the right quarterback falls, then improve the room.
Ewers worked with new Lions running backs coach Tashard Choice at Texas. The quarterback has a ton of arm talent and proved to be one tough customer, playing through big hits and injuries. There is enough special ability in that arm for someone to take a risk and see if they can fix Ewers for the next level because there are moments and throws in his tape through all the flaws that drop jaws.
McCord is a former blue-chip prospect who finally broke out and delivered on his potential at Syracuse last season. He spent the first three years of his career at Ohio State, showing fleeting flashes in 2023. McCord landed in the ACC, then led the conference with yards (4,779) and yards per game (367.6) in a pass-happy offensive.
That said, it’s likely the Lions will pass on this year’s quarterback market. Hooker has only one full season as a backup under his belt, and they would be wise to see if there is anything there as Goff’s backup before throwing another log on the fire.
