Getty Jared Goff tugs on his jersey during Detroit's loss to the Eagles in 2021.
The Detroit Lions are pushing through the offseason with designs on moving into 2022, and a big variable about their team next season will be the quarterback room.
Detroit didn’t manage to make any changes to the group this offseason, meaning they will roll into the year with exactly the players they had in 2021. That might not be a cause for excitement for some, but it’s the situation the Lions will be dealing with.
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It’s not a situation that inspires confidence for many on the outside, especially the contributors at Bleacher Report. Recently, the site ranked every quarterback room for the offseason, and the Lions didn’t have a high finish. The team placed 26th overall in the league, which is near the basement.
Analyst Gary Davenport admitted it’s a big year for Jared Goff, who must prove what he is close to the quarterback that had a great start to his career before getting traded last offseason. As Davenport wrote, the pressure is on Goff to show that he can be the player he once was for the Lions.
“For all of the criticism of Goff, the 27-year-old is a two-time Pro Bowler who helped lead the Rams to an appearance in Super Bowl LIII. His future as an NFL starter depends on recapturing that form in 2022,” Davenport said in the piece.
Obviously, though, the situation has its flaws to be rated this low for 2022.
Lions Putting Faith Into Roster Quarterbacks for 2022
By not making an outside move, the Lions are making the statement that they believe in their group for the near future. The team has chosen to build around Goff and make sure he has all the support needed to take some steps forward in his career. Behind him, the team believes that the tandem of Tim Boyle and David Blough are good enough to carry them in the event of an injury to Goff. Last season, Goff had a solid finish to the year, which was the good news. Boyle also saw a few games late in the season which could only help aid in his development for the future should he be pressed into duty once again.
It’s a gamble for sure to see the Lions going all-in on their quarterbacks this season, but it could have a reason to pay off in 2023 with the impending draft class Detroit could choose from.
2023 Quarterback Class Looking Very Loaded
If the Lions did indeed choose to look at next season for an upgrade, they will have plenty of options to consider. As weak as the 2022 quarterback class seems on the outset, the 2023 class could prove to be just the polar opposite. From the aforementioned Bryce Young to Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, there will be no shortage of elite players that could choose to come out, which means the Lions could have a better shot at finding their quarterback of the future next year rather than this season.
Young claimed the Heisman Trophy for his work in the 2021-22 season, and only figures to improve as a passer and a player next year. Already, there’s a notion that he could be good enough to be a shoo-in for the top overall pick in 2023. Here’s a look at how the debate has already centered on his candidacy for the top selection in 2023 on ESPN:
Whether or not the Lions will be bad enough in 2022 to land the top pick and Young remains to be seen. The team showed signs of late promise amid a losing year in 2021, and with more improvements, could win a few more games next season. The point stands, however, that the draft class figures to be more well-rounded next year than this year.
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