3 Day 3 Quarterbacks the Lions Could Draft to Replace Hendon Hooker
It’s been pretty clear for a while now where the Detroit Lions stand with Hendon Hooker. They showed interest in Daniel Jones when it looked like he might hit the market, which raised a few eyebrows. Then they brought Teddy Bridgewater back, fresh off coaching a high school team to a state title. That wasn’t meant to be a slight on Hooker, but when Bridgewater got bumped to the No. 2 spot for the playoff game over Hooker, it spoke volumes.
Lately, things have only gotten worse for Hooker’s standing in Detroit. The team added Kyle Allen in free agency, and ESPN’s Ben Solak basically called it out the Lions don’t seem to trust Hooker. He pointed out that Hooker will now be fighting Allen just to stay on the roster, and even if he makes it, there’s little confidence he’ll become a dependable backup.
There’s been talk the Lions might even sign an undrafted rookie QB, which would all but push Hooker off the team. But looking at the draft, here are three Day 3 quarterback prospects the Lions could grab to shake things up.
1. Max Brosmer (Minnesota)
Brosmer played well at New Hampshire before transferring to Minnesota for his final season, where he set a school record with 268 completions and tossed 18 touchdowns to just 6 picks. He’s not super mobile, but he’s reliable in a play-action, level-based offense kind of like what Detroit runs now. He won’t wow you with crazy athletic plays, but he’s smart and steady, which makes him a solid backup candidate.
2. Will Howard (Ohio State)
Howard had a tough day throwing at the Combine, which hurt his stock a bit, but there’s still plenty to like. He’s big (6’4″, 236 lbs), mobile, tough, and has loads of starting experience from his time at Kansas State and Ohio State. Scouts say he interviews well and knows his stuff, but his arm strength and passing consistency are question marks. The Lions haven’t shown much interest publicly, but he seems like the type of player they’d be into on Day 3.
3. Riley Leonard (Notre Dame)
Leonard is an intriguing option, suggested by Mike Payton at AtoZ Sports. He’s a dual-threat guy who racked up big rushing numbers along with solid passing stats at Duke and Notre Dame. While he didn’t throw much at Notre Dame, he completed over 63% of his passes in both of his full seasons. The knock on Leonard is that he’s quick to bail out of the pocket instead of letting deep routes develop, but there’s some untapped potential here. If the Lions think they can coach him up, he could be worth a gamble late in the draft.
Bottom Line:
The Lions are clearly rethinking their backup QB situation, and these three Day 3 options could spell the end of Hendon Hooker’s time in Detroit. If the team makes a move, it’ll tell us everything we need to know about how they feel going forward.
