Getty Clayton Tune throws a pass for Houston in a 2022 game.
The Detroit Lions continue to put their final touches on their plans for the NFL draft, and one of the positions that keeps coming up is quarterback.
Armed with a starter in Jared Goff who has proven himself as the answer for the team, the Lions may not have to prioritize a big name in the draft, even as much as some folks may want to see them do so.
Enter some more underrated options, and potentially even day three picks for the team. When it gets to that point in the draft, there could be a prospect that offers a potential fit for the team in the form of Houston’s Clayton Tune.
That point was made by ESPN’s Jordan Reid, who discussed the Lions and their potential draft plans in a hit for the network. As Reid explained, with the team looking to add pieces elsewhere, Tune could offer the Lions a prospect they could develop from much later in the draft.
We’re 18 days away from the 2023 NFL Draft.
A preview of what the #Lions should do at No. 18 overall and a Day 3 QB they likely have their eye on:
“One option I would like to bring up here is Houston quarterback Clayton Tune. A player who’s seen as a very intriguing late-round pick. Tune had a break-out year last year, over 4,000 passing yards, 40 touchdowns and a team-leading 546 rushing yards. He operates well in rhythm, he has enough arm strength and mobility as a developmental option. I think they could find a lot of intrigue in him,” Reid said in the clip.
Early in the process, many focused on the need for the Lions to add a quarterback early on. With the revelation that the team isn’t likely to be looking toward such an option, now, other players have surfaced in the process.
One of the more popular names in Tune’s image is also Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee, who has also been called a fit for the Lions with picks after the first-round of the draft. The duo is intriguing because the Lions wouldn’t have to surrender top picks to land either, and both could develop behind Goff in the future.
Reid might not be wrong to suggest Tune to Detroit either, especially when looking at what the quarterback can do well on the field.
Clayton Tune’s College Stats & Highlights
Thus far in the process, Tune’s name isn’t one that has come up much for the Lions at quarterback, because he is a player that could be grabbed in the later rounds.
Though that is the case, there is a legitimate reason to be excited about some of the talent that Tune provides when he is on the field. Tune just completed a five-year career in Houston, and showed he belongs in terms of his playmaking ability on the field
Getting his start in 2018, Tune racked up 11,994 passing yards and 101 touchdowns to just 41 interceptions. He also proved himself as an intriguing option in terms of moving the pocket, rushing for 1,248 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground in his career.
Tune has been seen as a day-three prospect at this point of the process, and was a first-team All-AAC player for the 2022 season. He was also the Birmingham Bowl MVP for 2021, and the Independence Bowl Offensive MVP in 2022.
Options for Lions Remain at Quarterback
Are the Lions done adding pieces at quarterback? That seems to be far from the case for the team, given some of the news that has been revealed lately with regards to the position.
A few weeks ago, Nate Sudfeld’s return seemed to indicate that the team was finished at quarterback, but reports surfaced on Saturday, April 8 that the team may have tabled an offer to Teddy Bridgewater. That move would seem to indicate that the Lions are looking for a player who could elevate things at the backup quarterback position this offseason.
In the draft process, the Lions have officially been tied to Hendon Hooker, who has the blend of arm strength and playmaking that teams covet in the league. He put up 8,974 yards in his career and 80 passing touchdowns to just 12 interceptions. He also added 2,079 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns on the ground.
Hooker has shown during his time in college he can be an explosive playmaker. Injury late in the season may have pushed him down the board, and that could be to Detroit’s advantage. Behind Goff, Hooker could get the kind of hands-on experience and time to grow in the league that he needs.
No matter whether the Lions add a player like Hooker or Tune from somewhere in the draft or sign a veteran like Bridgewater, it’s clear they want to step their game up at the backup spot on the roster in the future, something which Brad Holmes has already hinted at in the offseason.
Tune is simply another name to remember, especially if the Lions don’t end up taking a quarterback early on or make another signing in the process.