Tuesday open thread: Will the Detroit Lions take a quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft?

As pointed out by our own Mike Payton this week, the Detroit Lions are capable of doing just about anything in the 2023 NFL Draft. After a solid free agency and two highly successful drafts, the Lions’ needs are relatively low. Given that Detroit has a ton of draft capital, the Lions could go two ways with the draft. They could use all that capital to improve several different spots on the roster, or they could package some of those picks to get better even better prospects, albeit fewer of them.

Lions fans may not like talking about it, but draft discussion really starts at the quarterback position. While the team has professed their confidence in Jared Goff as the starter in the present, it’s fair to wonder how long the team is planning to commit to him, given that his current contract expires at the end of the 2024 season.

But even if the Lions kick the can on that decision, there is still a need for quarterback beyond a starter. The Lions promised to add competition to the room this offseason, and they have yet to do so. No matter how Brad Holmes tries to spin the Nate Sudfeld re-signing, it’s clear the Lions planned to do more to improve the depth there.

So today’s Question of the Day is:

Will the Lions draft a quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft?

My answer: Let me get it out of the way now and say I do not think the Lions will draft a starting-level talent at quarterback in this year’s draft. I believe in order to get a top-three player at that position in this class, they’ll have to trade up, and Detroit isn’t desperate enough to fill that need by spending extra draft capital on it. I wouldn’t completely rule out a guy like Hendon Hooker in the second or third round, but before then seems like a significant overpay.

The question of whether they’ll draft a backup quarterback later in the draft is a little more difficult to predict. The Lions reportedly have given Teddy Bridgewater a significant offer, so if Detroit comes out empty handed in the draft, they may have a contingency plan in place.

That said, I do think the Lions will draft a quarterback sometime after Day 1 of the draft. They could use a young talent who could possibly groom into a backup—or if they get incredibly lucky, a starting-capable player. There’s no problem with throwing darts late in the draft, whether it be UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Georgia’s Stetson Bennett, or any other quarterback worth a shot in the dark in your opinion.

Your turn.