Lions 2022 NFL Draft: MAC quarterbacks worth watching Wednesday night

Dustin Crum, Kent State

In the other MAC game Wednesday night, Northern Illinois will take on Kent State and quarterback Dustin Crum.

The Golden Flashes had a tough schedule to start the season, with Texas A&M, Iowa and Maryland over their first four games. But Crum has posted a passer rating north of 150 in three straight games, with five rushing touchdowns over the last four.

In 2019 and 2020, Crum emerged as one of the best quarterbacks in the country. Over 17 games in those two seasons, he threw for more than 3,800 yards with 32 touchdowns, just four interceptions and a completion rate over 70 percent. Sprinkle in 16 rushing touchdowns over the last three seasons, and he’s been one of the top dual-threat signal callers in the country.

Crum is easy to like as an NFL prospect, and Pro Football Focus had him among the most accurate passers in FBS two years ago. He’s probably going to be a late-round pick in the 2022 draft, even in a thin quarterback class, but there’s a chance he can raise his stock down the stretch.

How To Watch Crum Wednesday night: vs. Northern Illinois, 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Eleby and Crum won’t be anointed franchise saviors like first-round quarterbacks usually are. But removed from that pressure they could develop into starting-caliber NFL quarterbacks, and the Lions should have a scout in the stands in both Kalamazoo and Kent Wednesday night.