The Detroit Lions have a checkered draft history at the position, but when is the last time they selected a quarterback?
Let’s just say the Detroit Lions have a checkered history drafting quarterbacks, fitting right in with a dismal draft history overall.
There are Hall of Famers or borderline Hall of Famers who never took a snap for them (Y.A. Tittle, Otto Graham, John Hadl), big misses with very high picks (Joey Harrington, Andre Ware), some in-between (Greg Landry, Charlie Batch, Chuck Long) and one that we can say worked out nicely (Matthew Stafford).
The Lions seem likely to come out of this year’s draft with a quarterback, as they eye the future beyond Jared Goff. It’s truly feels like just a matter of where they take one, or how aggressive they might be if there’s one they really like.
But there’s a question out there to wonder about….
When is the last time the Detroit Lions drafted a quarterback?
The default answer for some, even with it being so long ago, might be Stafford, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 draft. But he’s actually the third-most recent quarterback the Lions have drafted.
In 2016, the Lions drafted Jake Rudock in the sixth round (pick No. 191). He threw five passes for them during the 2017 season, and was never seen on an NFL regular season field again.
The most recent quarterback the Lions have drafted is Brad Kaaya, in the sixth round of the 2017 draft (No. 215 overall) out of the University of Miami. He ended up having a couple stints with the Lions, and shorts stints with a few other teams (Panthers, Colts, Bengals), never throwing a regular season pass over two seasons.
The Lions may take a quarterback in the late rounds again this year, with obvious hope (and likelihood?) he will stick around for a little while.