NFL Draft rumors: Insiders think Detroit Lions could surprise with a QB in 1st round

We have officially come full circle with NFL Draft rumors.

Very early in the draft process, Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn surprised many by saying that every position was on the table for the Lions’ eighth overall pick, very much including quarterback.

“If there’s a quarterback out there that we deem could help us this year or in the future, we’ll never close the door on that,” Quinn said at the Season Ticket Holder Summit back in February.

But after that quote, rumors died down. No one really took that statement seriously, especially considering the commitment and support both he and Matt Patricia have shown toward Matthew Stafford. There’s no way the Lions would actually pick a first-round quarterback.

However, apparently there are some that think Detroit may be serious. According to MMQB’s Albert Breer, some people within the league think Detroit could shock the NFL world.

“There’s even been speculation in league circles that they could be the surprise quarterback team,” Breer wrote.

It’s worth noting in full context that Breer still ended up selecting Iowa tight end T.J. Hockenson in his latest mock draft, and isn’t saying that his sources are coming from the Lions themselves, but rather from what outsiders are thinking of Detroit.

We’re in the last week of the draft season, so it’s hard to take anything seriously at this point. However, if this is true, the Lions have at least succeeded in keeping their intentions very guarded. That could be great news, especially if they’re trying to bait a team to trade up to grab a quarterback before Detroit selects one.

Or maybe these rumors are true, and the Lions are actually lining up to do the unthinkable and add their next franchise quarterback. Thankfully, we don’t have to wait too much longer to find out.