What if the Detroit Lions are better than expected?

A franchise quarterback is the key ingredient

During Jared Goff’s introductory press conference he said he thought the Lions were ready to compete now. Many in the media and fans alike think that is unlikely. Yet all the people I’ve heard talk about the Lions contending for the first pick in the draft next year may also be in for a surprise.

Now the bottom line for me is that I don’t expect a big turnaround in year one of the Holmes/Campbell era. When a team is making as many changes as the Lions are, especially if the offseason is limited again, it becomes very hard to find any kind of real success.

So I think making any postseason plans around the Lions is very premature. But I do think that there is a realistic chance that Dan Campbell’s troops could exceed expectations.

When we consider that the expectations are in the ballpark of a three-win season and a top-three pick in the draft, the apple cart might get tipped.

We still need to see what happens in the draft and how Campbell and his staff utilize this roster, but there is a definite possibility these Motor City cats could be 6-10. Not a great record, but a record that can knock Detroit out of a top ten pick in the 2022 draft.

Would that be a terrible problem? Maybe, because if Jared Goff is not the long-term answer, then a lower draft pick means if the Lions don’t get their quarterback of the future in this April’s draft, it will cost them valuable assets to get him next year if they are even able to.

The eventual success of this regime and the Detroit Lions is tied directly to the draft. If they draft well and develop those players, then the road to building a contender will be underway. However, having a franchise quarterback is still one of the key ingredients for any team to contend.

If the Lions bypass a quarterback in the upcoming draft, then that could mean Jared Goff is expected to be the long-term answer. It could also mean there is a passer of interest in next year’s draft. But if the Lions do exceed expectations and drop themselves out of a prime position to draft their quarterback of the future next year, then the price of mediocrity could cost this franchise.