Dan Campbell Shares Bold Opinion About Teams Needing Elite Quarterback

For the Lions, the 2022 NFL Draft is all about revamping a roster that has many holes.

Finishing 3-13-1 in 2021 was successful in the eyes of none. Despite this, there are young pieces that have created a varying amount of optimism. Players such as receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and running back D’Andre Swift looked to be core pieces of the team’s future.

With the offensive line apparently set, and T.J. Hockenson locking down the tight end spot, there’s one area in which the Lions don’t have a rock-solid option -- at quarterback.

As of now, the Lions have incumbent Jared Goff as the starter. He was productive in the back half of the 2021 season, where his stats improved after a tough start to the year. Yet, it’s uncertain whether he’ll be a long-term option at the position.

Because of this uncertainty, some pundits believe that Detroit will be in the market for a signal-caller early in the draft, even perhaps in the first round.

Yet, the decision may not be "make-or-break" in the eyes of head coach Dan Campbell.

The Lions have needs at just about every position. Outside of the offensive line, Detroit could benefit from adding a player at every area on the field. Because of this, the quarterback position may not be one that is addressed early on.

This is not a particularly special quarterback class. SI’s NFL Draft Bible has two prospects, Liberty’s Malik Willis and Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett, with first-round grades. An equal number of guys have second-round grades, Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder and Nevada’s Carson Strong.

With no surefire options, Detroit could benefit from passing in 2022 and banking on landing one of the exceptional prospects in the 2023 class.

Make no mistake, Campbell wants to ace this draft, as the team continues its mult-year rebuild.

“We want our core to be from the Draft,” Campbell said, via Lions reporter Tim Twentyman. “That’s where our pool of guys are coming from. You want to build your core that way and you want to develop those players and then you want to sign those players back and then you want to draft some more.”

When asked if a team needs an elite level quarterback to have sustained success, Campbell pushed back on that notion.

.@davebirkett thinks the Lions main focus will be to continue building out the roster and address the QB situation at a later time. pic.twitter.com/I0xl6QREDv
— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) April 7, 2022

”No, I don’t think you need that,” Campbell said. “I think, boy, you’d love to have that type of player, because they can improvise. There’s things that they can do, and they can improvise with their eyes downfield, so they can run your offense, they’re going to do what they need to do, they understand it well, they know their reads. If something just kind of isn’t right, they’ve got pocket mobility and then they can break it. But, their eyes are always downfield.

Campbell continued, “Those are guys that hurt you, not just the pure runners. It’s the ones that can always just kind of keep looking for the next play, while I’m moving away from you. But, I think that those, guys like that, are obviously, they’re special. And, they certainly can give you a better chance. But, no, I don’t believe you have to have one of those guys to have sustained success.”