The Detroit Lions may have their quarterback for the 2021-22 season — but is Jared Goff the QB of the future in Detroit, or will the NFL Draft soon be a hot topic?
With many sportsbooks projecting the Lions to be among the worst in the NFL next season, Detroit could be in position to take one of the top quarterbacks in the 2022 draft in Las Vegas.
Will the Lions target a quarterback in next year’s NFL Draft? If so, who will it be?
Detroit Lions given little hope in 2021
It’s no surprise that the Detroit Lions aren’t getting big expectations for the upcoming season.
Detroit had a lot of roster turnover and has brought in a completely new coaching staff and management team.
The Lions focused on building depth on the offensive and defensive lines in the 2021 NFL Draft. That approach leaves a lot of questions for the skill positions, however.
When it comes to next season’s results, here’s what the oddsmakers expect from Detroit.
- Over/Under Win Total (DraftKings Sportsbook): 5
- Worst Record in the NFL for 2021-22 (WilliamHill Sportsbook): +350
- Lions to go 0-17 (PointsBet Sportsbook): +2800
- Week 1 Odds (FanDuel Sportsbook): Lions +7.5 vs. San Francisco
- Week 2 Odds (FanDuel): Lions +7 at Green Bay
Looking toward 2022 QB options
Detroit opted not to select a quarterback in last month’s NFL Draft. Jared Goff is likely locked in to being with the Lions for at least two seasons because of his contract situation that could result in a $15 million dead-money hit to the salary cap.
Although Goff will be the starter this season, Detroit could target a rookie next draft with a high pick likely coming, as well as the L.A. Rams’ first round pick in their back pocket.
Things are likely to change a lot between now and the 2022 NFL Draft on April 28. However, here are the top quarterback prospects being consistently mentioned for next year’s draft.
- Spencer Rattler, Oklahoma
- Sam Howell, North Carolina
- Kedon Slovis, USC
- Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati
- Malik Willis, Liberty
- J.T. Daniels, Georgia
Spencer Rattler favored to be top pick
Of the group listed above, Rattler is currently finding himself the favorite to be next year’s No. 1 pick.
Oddsmakers at BetMGM Sportsbook list Rattler at +250 to be the top pick. Howell is next at +350, while Slovis is a distant third at +900.
Rattler comes from the Oklahoma football program, which produced the No. 1 pick in both 2018 (Baker Mayfield) and 2019 (Kyler Murray). Each has good standing with their respective teams to be their franchise quarterbacks for the foreseeable future.
The 6-foot-1 Rattler had a great freshman season under center for the Sooners. Hew threw for 3,031 yards and 28 touchdowns against seven interceptions. He also rushed for 160 yards and six scores over 11 games.
When it comes to the Heisman Trophy, Rattler is favored to also follow in the footsteps of Mayfield and Murray and win the honor. FoxBet Sportsbook lists Rattler as at +425 favorite to win the honor next fall.
Sam Howell with a lot of experience at UNC
The 6-1 quarterback from North Carolina is going to be entering his third season as a starter for the Tar Heels.
His first two years with UNC have been quite productive. Howell threw for 3,641 yards and 38 touchdowns with seven interceptions as a freshman in 2019.
Howell followed that up with 3,586 yards with 30 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2020. This past season, he also rushed for 146 yards and five touchdowns. Howell completed 68% of his passes, too.
In the Heisman race, Howell is listed at +1200 to win by FoxBet.
Kedon Slovis productive in the pocket
Slovis seems to be a consensus top prospect for next year’s draft as well, with most projecting him as a first-round option.
The 6-2 QB for USC competed in just six games this past fall, but he threw for 1,921 yards with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He completed 67% of his passes.
As a freshman in 2019, Slovis threw for 3,502 yards and 30 touchdowns with nine interceptions.
Slovis is a pocket passer who won’t be a running threat, an interesting note because that dual danger has become an increasingly attractive attribute among NFL starting quarterbacks.
Slovis is listed at +1800 to win the Heisman Trophy this coming season.
