Top quarterback prospect falls to Detroit Lions in new mock draft

In a new 2023 first round mock, a top quarterback prospect falls outside the top-10 to the Detroit Lions.

It’s only a matter of time before the Detroit Lions draft a quarterback, and set themselves (hopefully) on an upside track at the most important position on the field. Maybe it happens in next April’s draft, and if not then the 2024 will yield the quarterback of the future.

Possessing two first-round picks again in 2023 puts the Lions in a good position. And as the 2022 season goes downhill for the Los Angeles Rams, the pick the Lions have from them looks to end up being quite good.

Joe Broback of Pro Football Network put out a new first round 2023 mock draft recently. With the No. 3 overall pick, courtesy of the Rams, the Lions go an easily mock drafted direction for defensive help.

"3) Detroit Lions: Jalen Carter, DT, GeorgiaBuckle up everyone, because Jalen Carter’s about to remind everyone why he’s a top-five pick. With the SEC Championship Game and College Football Playoff ahead of him, he will face a number of quality linemen in the next few games.He brings a unique value to the interior defensive line. He joins his former teammates Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt from last year as another Bulldogs first-round pick, and I can already smell the fear of teams trying to stop Carter and Aidan Hutchinson."

Top quarterback prospect falls to Detroit Lions in first round mock

At No. 13 overall, Broback has one of the top quarterback prospects (at least for now) in the 2023 class falling into the Lions’ laps.

"13) Detroit Lions: C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio StateThis might be an overreaction from the Michigan game, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see C.J. Stroud drop on teams’ draft big boards. Stroud more than likely is still a top-10 pick, but the chips might fall for the Lions to snag him at 13.Detroit is definitely in the process of rebuilding, and it starts with the quarterback. Stroud can’t fix all of the Lions’ issues, but this is the first step."

Stroud threw two interceptions against Michigan in Ohio State’s regular season finale, after throwing a total of four in the first 11 games. The way things are going on Championship Weekend as of this writing, he may get a College Football Playoff stage to finish the season and a shot to re-establish whatever of his draft stock was diminished by the Michigan game.

If Stroud fell out of the top-10, which feels unlikely at this point, the Lions would gladly take him if their own first-round pick was there.