The Detroit Lions acquired quarterback Jared Goff in 2021 as part of a deal that sent Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams, and he slowly regained his Pro Bowl form after a rough start to his Lions career. That said, is it entirely possible for the team to draft a quarterback with their sixth overall pick should one be available?
While Goff may seem like the long-term answer in Detroit, let’s remember something- as shown in LA, he is a quarterback who needs everything to go right for him to succeed. When he had good offensive pieces and a sturdy offensive line with the Rams, he was good, but his production dipped when either of those units dealt with injuries. So far in Detroit, it appears to be that way as well. When the offensive line is up to par and the offensive weapons click, Goff is good, but when they are not, he becomes a different player of sorts.
Hear me out – the Lions should draft a quarterback in 2023.
Why Should The Lions Take A Quarterback?
First off, how long will it be before the Lions have a draft choice like the sixth overall pick again? This appears to be a young team on the upswing, and will likely contend in a weaker NFC for the foreseeable future, Goff or not.
When comparing quarterbacks around the league, Goff is similar to Kirk Cousins, Matt Ryan, and Derek Carr- good enough to win you six to nine games a year, not good enough to always lead you to the playoffs. This is a bad place to be in as an NFL general manager, as the team is now stuck in something called quarterback purgatory. Being in this position means that your team will never be good enough to tank for top draft picks during a bad season, which means that said quarterback will likely remain with the franchise for the foreseeable future because the team can’t pick high enough to draft a replacement.
A younger quarterback along the likes of Will Levis or Anthony Richardson would enable the Lions to have higher athletic upside at the position. One of Goff’s well known weaknesses is his lack of mobility, which is not a good thing in today’s mobile-QB driven league. Being a quarterback today requires a passer to be able to use his legs due to the general decline of offensive lines around the league, and Goff lacks that ability. A team building around Goff would have to invest a lot more resources than they would like into an offensive line, but having a quarterback like Levis or Richardson would enable the team to emphasize other areas of need as well.
Age and contract are also a factor here. Goff is 28 years old and currently playing on a four year extension worth $134 million, and his cap hit will be $32 million this season. This is not good for a team featuring several young players that are due to get paid very soon. Drafting a younger quarterback on a cheaper contract would enable the Lions to pay their younger players while also enabling them to sign more marquee free agents due to a surplus of cap space.
One more thing of note- should the Lions draft a quarterback, they will have the luxury of sitting behind Goff for one or two years. This would be especially important in the event the team drafts Levis or Richardson, as many have said that those two prospects are not suited to be a QB1 from the start and will need to sit for a year.
If the Lions want to contend in 2023 and beyond, they should make the smart move to draft a quarterback that could sit behind Goff for a year or two. This would enable the team to get younger at the position, build a stronger team with a large amount of cap space, get out of possible quarterback purgatory, and allow themselves to get a more dynamic athlete at the position.
