Getty C.J. Stroud throws a pass during the 2023 NFL combine.
The Detroit Lions have done their homework on plenty of players set to be selected in the NFL draft, and late in the process, they are doing their diligence on an intriguing name.
Quarterback C.J. Stroud was revealed to be heading to Detroit this week on a pre-draft visit. NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero explained that Stroud would not only be getting a visit with the Indianapolis Colts, but Detroit as well.
“C.J. Stroud also has visits with the Colts (4) and Lions (6) later this week. Almost every team in the top eight spending extra time with one of the draft’s top QBs,” Pelissero tweeted.
As visit season pushes to a close over the next few weeks, Stroud’s late visit is interesting. It could show the Lions are serious about adding a quarterback, or at the very least, getting to know more about Stroud before they make a selection.
Writer Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press was responding to a question on Twitter in the wake of Stroud’s visit, and offered a very good explanation for Stroud being in the mix for the team. If he falls, and Detroit has a high grade, he could be in play. Otherwise, a pick could play out later on.
@LionsDraftWatch Hooker isn’t going top 10. A combine meeting is 15 minutes. If you take a QB high R1, you need to spend real time with him (like Stroud) and I would think see him throw live (like Young). If young or Stroud falls to 6 seems possible. Otherwise, Day 2?
“Hooker isn’t going top 10. A combine meeting is 15 minutes. If you take a QB high R1, you need to spend real time with him (like Stroud) and I would think see him throw live (like Young). If Young or Stroud falls to 6 seems possible. Otherwise, Day 2?,” Birkett tweeted.
In the event one of the two big names is on the board when the Lions pick, the team could elect to gamble on a move at quarterback, but other than that, the team could be simply doing diligence and could choose to take a quarterback a bit later on in the draft.
Last season, it’s important to remember that the Lions got a closer look at Pitt’s Kenny Pickett as well. Many thought it meant the team would be drafting the quarterback, but they passed. Pickett ended up with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
It’s important to keep the pre-draft visits in proper perspective as they play out, especially at the quarterback position. At the very least, the Lions are setting out to be informed on Stroud when they select at sixth-overall.
Resetting Lions’ 2023 Quarterback Room
The Lions have had an intriguing offseason at quarterback. They stuck with Jared Goff, and re-signed veteran Nate Sudfeld, who served as the team’s backup during the 2022 season.
In spite of those moves, the team could be far from done making additions to the roster. Early rumors have surfaced that the Lions could be a team in play to sign another veteran backup in Teddy Bridgewater.
Then, there’s the issue of the draft. The Lions have gotten the closest look at Hendon Hooker so far in the process, meeting with him during the Senior Bowl as well as getting an in-person visit just ahead of the draft. Other prospects such as Clayton Tune could be fits if the team does not elect to make a selection early on in the draft.
This offseason, Brad Holmes has seemed better prepared to tackle the problem. Speaking to reporters including Nolan Bianchi of the Detroit News at the 2023 NFL combine, Holmes admitted that how he handled the 2022 decisions wasn’t good enough.
Brad Holmes says he has to do a better job of solving the backup QB position. Said he wasn’t satisfied with their situation entering 2022
“I feel like last year we left training camp kind of sliding into home plate trying to fill that backup quarterback role. That’s on me, I’ve got to do a better job of making sure we’re not in that position again. So that is something we’re going to need to address whether it’s here in free agency or in the draft. That’s something we’ve had a lot of conversations about. But I’ve got to do a better job of getting that rectified,” Holmes said as shown in Bianchi’s tweet.
With the moves he has already made and the ones he is pondering, Holmes is at the very least putting a lot of thought into what happens at quarterback before 2023, and seems more prepared this offseason.
C.J. Stroud’s Career Stats & Highlights
No matter what happens with Detroit, it will be interesting to see what plays out with Stroud, who is clearly a top option for the impending NFL draft.
Early on, Stroud has taken on the look of one of the best passers in a stout 2023 class of quarterbacks. His first year at Ohio State was a banner season in which Stroud threw for 4,435 yards and 44 touchdowns.
Here’s a look at some of Stroud’s top highlights from the 2021 season on the field:
A question Stroud will have to overcome this season and into the future? The failure of Buckeye quarterbacks in the NFL. Few have achieved major success in the league minus some early positives from Justin Fields with the Chicago Bears, but there’s always time for a first star. Stroud could well be that player with his strong arm and escapability.
Through the 2022 season in three years of college, Stroud amassed 8,123 yards, 85 passing touchdowns and just 12 interceptions. As a result, he was a Heisman Trophy finalist, placing third in the ceremony.
It’s clear Stroud is an intriguing name, and the Lions want to know more about him as the pre-draft process begins to come to a head.