The 2025 season obviously did not go as expected for the Detroit Lions, with a barely above .500 record and no trip to the postseason. That brought a top-to-bottom evaluation this offseason from general manager Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell, and some notable changes to the offseason calendar to try to get things back on track.
If things don't go very well again this season, some further, and tougher evaluations will be undertaken. Even a quick playoff exit, if the circumstance brings it, will prominently invite a question that comes up every once in awhile.
Can the Detroit Lions win a Super Bowl with Jared Goff as the quarterback?
Some people, however tilted locally to the Detroit area will say, yes, the Lions can win a Super Bowl with Goff. But reasonable minds can differ on that idea, and generally wondering about where the team's ceiling is with Goff under center (or if they've already reached it) is not the stretch some fans might like to make it out to be.
If something is deemed necessary to change for the Lions over the next year or two, it's unlikely to be Campbell or Holmes unless things really go in the tank. Goff has three years left on his contract, with a palatable out after the 2027 season.
Another early 2027 mock draft has Lions planning for life post-Jared Goff
One early 2027 mock draft has already had the Lions considering their post-Goff future in the first round. Justin Melo of SI.com has gone to that well too, putting Oklahoma State signal caller Drew Mestemaker in Honolulu Blue via the 23rd overall pick in his latest 2027 mock.
"If the Detroit Lions fall short of their goals again, will they start thinking about drafting a young quarterback? Drew Mestemaker went from a zero-star walk-on at North Texas to throwing for 4,379 passing yards and 34 touchdowns with nine interceptions this past campaign. Mestemaker followed coach Eric Morris to Oklahoma State. Don't forget that Coach Morris helped mold 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward at Incarnate Word and Washington State."
After a big redshirt freshman season at North Texas in 2025, following head coach Eric Morris to the Big 12 will be a notable step up in competition for Mestemaker. But he has NFL size (6-foot-4, 210 pounds), and Morris' resume as a quarterback developer and designer of offense extends back to when he was offensive coordinator at Texas Tech in 2015-2017.
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In 2015 and 2016, Morris had some guy named Patrick Mahomes as his quarterback. Mahomes led the Big 12 in passing yards both seasons, including leading the FBS in passing yards in 2016, with 77 touchdowns and 25 interceptions over the two campaigns.
If the Lions end up using an early 2027 draft pick on a quarterback, which is a massive 'if', it would likely be with a plan to sit him behind Goff for a year before taking over. That even being a remote conversation right now is something no one would've expected just a short time ago, but here we are as we look toward a big season for the Lions and their incumbent signal caller.
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