2021 NFL draft: 5 quarterbacks who could make sense for the Detroit Lions

ALLEN PARK -- It’s time to get familiar with five quarterbacks who could make sense for the Detroit Lions in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Matthew Stafford, 32, heads into another offseason filled with nothing but questions surrounding his future in Detroit. Stafford started 16 games this past season despite battling injuries to his throwing hand’s thumb, rib cartilage and ankle. The Lions quarterback remains under contract through 2023, but that last season is a voidable deal, giving both sides flexibility. Stafford has remained mum on his future in Detroit, and the team can’t commit to much without a permanent head coach or general manager.

Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp was asked about Stafford’s future after firing Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn, to which she said: “We’ll see what the new coach has to say.”

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Darrell Bevell, the team’s interim coach and candidate for the full-time gig, said he would want Stafford as his quarterback next year if he were to get the job. Detroit is nearly through its first round of interviews with head coaching candidates, with Bucs defensive coordinator Todd Bowles reportedly penciled for Friday.

Stafford endured an inconsistent season while battling injuries, not to mention missing star receiver Kenny Golladay for 10 games. The veteran gunslinger still threw for 4,084 yards with 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Stafford turned the aggression up after Patricia was fired, turning in a couple vintage performances along the way.

“I love Matthew Stafford. I think he’s a heck of a quarterback,” Bevell said. “He’s in the upper group in the league in terms of that position. I think it’s the most important position on the field. If you don’t have one of those guys, you’re going to struggle for a long time. I think he’s a very, very good one, and I think he’s been in that position for a long time. From my perspective, it’s been a great two years working with him, and I would love to continue that.”

With all of that said, it’s best to remember it’s not always just about next year when it comes to the quarterback position. Stafford remains very good at what he does and is under team control for a couple of seasons. The quarterback’s once record-setting contract now ranks 13th among those at his position.

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See below for five quarterbacks to track ahead of April’s draft, with some options for the No. 7 pick and later rounds in mind:

Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State

When Justin Fields is clicking, he really looks the part of future NFL starting quarterback. It’s pretty obvious Fields was struggling through some pain in the national championship game. The week before, though? Fields put the Buckeyes on his back, throwing for 385 yards with six touchdowns in the blowout semifinal win over Clemson. The 6-foot-3 quarterback finished seventh in the Heisman voting while throwing for 2,100 yards with 22 touchdowns and six picks in eight games. Fields is all over the place in early projections, but firmly in the first round and in contention to be this class’ QB2 behind Trevor Lawrence.

Fields has the arm strength to stretch defenses and the mobility to make them pay when coverage sags. His completion percentage was up to 70.2% this season, and the No. 1 recruit in the 2018 class continues to show signs of growth. It’s easy to picture Fields leading an aggressive vertical passing attack at the next level, and soon. He’s a Day 1 prospect that could very well be off the board by the time it’s Detroit’s turn. Fields is off the board at No. 15 to New England in ESPN’s most recent mock.

Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

It’s easy to forget about Trey Lance during bowl season thanks to North Dakota State’s standing as North Dakota State. The third-year sophomore comes in at 6-foot-2, 226 pounds but played only one game this past season due to the pandemic. ESPN reports the sophomore learned to play quarterback while training with his former Canadian Football League cornerback father (Carlton Lance). Lance is another legit quarterback prospect out of North Dakota State, joining recent draftees Easton Stick and Carson Wentz.

Lance finds his name among the Day 1 prospects thanks to his remarkable 2019, leading the Bison to an undefeated (16-0) FCS national championship. He threw for 2,786 yards with 28 touchdowns and no interceptions on 287 attempts. Lance added 1,100 yards and 14 scores on the ground, winning the Walter Payton Award for the FCS’s most outstanding offensive player. ESPN has Lance off the board to Washington at No. 19.

“He is an unprecedented evaluation because of his immense talent with such meager experience, playing just his redshirt freshman season (at an All-American level) plus one showcase game (mixed results) this past Saturday,” Dane Brugler of The Athletic wrote back in October. “And all of his games came vs. FCS competition. Several quarterback-needy teams are already sold on his raw talent, and it will be up to Lance to convince NFL decision-makers throughout the draft process that his ceiling as a quarterback makes him a smart investment.”

Kyle Trask, QB, Florida

Desmond Ridder and Kenny Pickett both opted to return to school in 2021, helping Kyle Trask’s stock a touch. Trask is one heck of an intriguing prospect, officially declaring for the draft late last month.

Trask set school records for passing yards and touchdowns this past season, finishing fourth in the Heisman voting. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound quarterback hit on 68.9% of his passes for 4,283 yards with 43 scores and only eight interceptions in 12 games. Don’t expect the big man to take off and run too often. He’s a pocket passer whose size likely afforded him more reads on the ground at the college level. Trask’s arm strength will remain under the microscope leading into the draft, especially when paired with his lack of mobility. It’s hard to ignore his production level this past season and amount of big-time throws he made, though. Right now, he’s a developmental quarterback that could cost a pretty penny based on the pick come April.

“The Florida QB emerged halfway through the 2020 season with five straight games of passing grades above 85.0 (Weeks 10-14) and showed off his accuracy constantly while hitting all those wheel routes, seams and fades that his head coach dialed up,” Pro Football Focus writes. “(Florida coach Dan) Mullen helped turn Trask from one of the worst big-time throw to turnover-worthy play ratios in 2019 (9:22) to one of the best in 2020 (41:14).”

Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

Zach Wilson could be there for the Lions at No. 7, but he’s getting mocked as high as No. 4 in the early stages. Wilson’s stock skyrocketed with his level of play in 2020, hitting 73.5% of his passes for 3,692 yards with 33 touchdowns and only three interceptions. The junior added 10 scores on the ground while leading BYU to an 11-1 season.

Wilson’s ball placement and some of the tight-window throws he makes on the run should have general managers and scouts drooling. It’s been said on this website, but it should be said again, he’s got a little Stafford in him when letting that thing rip. PFF reports Wilson lined up under center for 18% of his snaps for 2020, so he’s familiar out of the gun and at the line.

“Wilson’s arm strength affords him different amenities,” PFF writes. “Not that Wilson cannot process quickly enough at an NFL level, but he can throw to places that most defenses don’t think worthy of stationing a defender on patrol. When the ball was set on the right hash, Wilson threw 29 times to within 10 yards of the left sideline from the pocket, with a passing grade of 90.5.

“This is the arm strength NFL teams covet. Wilson has it. Now we’ll see if he can transition as smoothly to the league as (Bengals quarterback Joe) Burrow seemingly did before his injury cut short his rookie season.”

Jamie Newman, QB, Georgia (Wake Forest transfer)

Don’t sleep on Jamie Newman despite the weird end to his career amid the challenging coronavirus season. Newman showed some serious flashes at Wake Forest, then transferred to Georgia as a graduate transfer but opted out of the 2020 campaign.

Newman will get a chance to actually step on the field at this year’s Senior Bowl and should have his fair share of eyes when he does so. The 6-foot-4 quarterback threw for 2,868 yards with 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as a junior at Wake Forest. Newman added 574 yards and six scores on the ground, leading the Demon Deacons to an 8-5 record. He finished second in offensive yards per game in the conference and comes with desirable size and intriguing traits.

Newman is looking like a mid-to-late-round pick at best in this year’s quarterback class. His accuracy, or more so his consistency with it, has left a lot to be desired to this point. Still, it’s hard to ignore those flashes of arm strength and natural playmaking ability. Newman isn’t going to wow with his speed, but he’s shown a knack for knowing how to gain extra yardage when needed. This mysterious prospect has shown some serious flashes and is at the tippy-top of any list of intriguing prospects headed to Mobile. Newman will likely need some time, which isn’t a terrible route with Stafford, Daniel and even David Blough under team control.