If the Lions opt out of taking a quarterback in the draft either this year or next year, they could simply decide to go in the direction that the Carolina Panthers did.  The Panthers rebuilt their team and then traded for a known talent on another team and put him in a position to succeed by acquiring Sam Darnold.  It is not a given that the Lions will decide to move on from Jared Goff either this year or next, but the general expectation is that they will do so.

If this is what the Lions were to do a year or two down the road, these are some quarterbacks who they could look at as being their future.  The criteria for these quarterbacks are that they have to be under 26 or less, be on a bad team, or be on a team that seems unsure of them due to their performance or situation. 

Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia

The Jalen Hurts experiment is already wielding poor results in the City of Brotherly Love, and the Eagles might decide to make a change as early as next season.  Hurts is a physical specimen with an adequate arm and great mobility, but poor decision making on his part and poor play calling from his head coaches has hampered his young career.  Hurts also has the unfortunate tendency to panic and bail on plays quickly, which is concerning but not insurmountable.

Should the Eagles decide to go in a different direction, he could be a perfect fit in Detroit.  His attitude of rent being due every day fits right in with Dan Campbell’s knee cap-biting, never give up philosophies.  He would also only be 24-25 if the Lions decided to pull the trigger in the next two years.  Under the right coaching Hurts can be a great quarterback, the question is will the Lions decide to be the ones who decide to develop him?

Tua Tagovoila, Miami

We all know what kind of talent Tua is.  Until the historic run Joe Burrow had with LSU a couple of years ago, he (Tua) was set to be the first overall pick in the 2020 draft.  But Tua has struggled mightily to stay healthy since joining the Dolphins and he hasn’t played well.  He was thrust into the starting lineup midway through last season and he simply wasn’t ready to play yet.  With the rumors of a Deshuan Watson to Miami trade still flying, Tua’s future in Miami remains uncertain.

Tua is the same age as Jalen Hurts.  In fact the two share a lot of similarities.  Both are former Alabama QB’s, both have the ability to run the ball, and both have a good arm but have some on-field decision making issues.  If Miami decides that Tua is either too injury prone or that the grass is greener on the other side, then look for Detroit to possibly rectify their mistake by taking Jeff Okhuda in the 2020 draft and trade for Tua.

Daniel Jones, New York Giants

I will be the first to admit, Daniel Jones’ situation is odd.  He has a great arm and an underrated ability to run the football, but he has struggled mightily with his accuracy.  He has also had plenty of weapons in his time in New York and been unable to use them properly.  But at the same time the Giants offensive line has been horrible ever since he got there and he has been without a competent play caller.  He has an abysmal career record at 8-21, which is likely only going to get worse on a bad Giants team.

The talent is there for Jones, but at this point it´s clear that New York isn´t going to be the place for him.  Out of all the players on this list he is the most comparable to the Darnold-Carolina trade.  If there´s nobody Detroit likes in either this years or next years draft, Jones might be worth taking a look at.  He would only be 25-26.  This is would be a risky move because out of all the guys on the list Jones is the oldest, it wouldn´t be too cheap to bring him in, and no one is really sure just how good he can be.

Zach Wilson, New York Jets

Out of all the candidates on this list, this one is the most out there.  Wilson has not been good since the Jets drafted him second overall.  The BYU product shot up draft boards last season, eclipsing Justin Fields.  Unfortunately, Wilson has had no weapons, no runningbacks, a bad offensive line, and a first year head coach.  He has thrown two touchdowns and seven picks, including a four pick game against the Patriots.

This would only be a possibility two or maybe even three years down the line.  If Wilson continues his epic struggles, it is not likely the Jets will give him longer than three seasons to figure it out.  Wilson is clearly talented, but he hasn´t been able to prove it.  He could be someone the Lions should keep their eye on over the next couple of years.  There´s clearly talent in Wilson, but the city of New York has become the place that quarterbacks go to die.  Unless the Jets turn it around in the next two years or so, expect Wilson to be available.

Jordan Love, Green Bay

The once heir-apparent to Aaron Rodgers is now in a complicated situation.  After a turbulent offseason where he was finally placed into the QB1 spot, Love received less than flattering reviews before Rodgers made his surprising return to the Packers and took the reigns back form the Utah State grad.

Love is the most intriguing player on this list.  He is still only twenty two years old and just like every other quarterback on this list he can run like nobody´s business and throw the ball far, but he is incredibly unpolished.  He might be the definition of raw talent.  Just like Hurts and Tua he was drafted in 2020, but unlike either of them he is yet to start a regular season game and is known to panick under pressure.

How this plays out depends entirely on Rodgers.  If he is able to reconcile with the Packers front office and stay there for several more years, then it´s time for Detroit to move in.  Love would be the perfect candidate for the Lions to trade for and have him sit behind Goff for another year before he finally gets his shot at being the franchise quarterback.

Almost every quarterback on this list has some of the same traits.  They have big arms, they are mobile, and they have problems with their decision makings and/or accuracy.  If the Lions were to do what I have dubbed the Carolina Plan, some patience would be required.  None of these guys are likely to come on your roster and immediately be the answer.  They need to be developed and we would need to play to their strengths and try to minimize their weaknesses.  Thats what you do with young quarterbacks.  All of these guys can be franchise quarterbacks, and if they´re developed properly then maybe they can finally be the guy who gets the Lions their first playoff win in thirty years.