Lions Draft QB Kedon Slovis in Todd McShay's 2022 Mock Draft
The college quarterback market is often monitored by National Football League general managers.
For the Detroit Lions, the 2021 college football season could produce their next franchise passer.
Despite their current commitment to Jared Goff, Brad Holmes & Co. must continue to pay attention to the happenings at the collegiate level.
Following the 2021 NFL Draft, multiple mock drafts have featured the Lions targeting a quarterback with the top pick or the second overall selection in the 2022 draft.
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ESPN NFL analyst Todd McShay released his 2022 mock draft, and he has the Lions selecting USC Trojans quarterback Kedon Slovis with the second pick.
"Current Lions QB Jared Goff was part of the return in the Matthew Stafford trade in January, and a lot of what the Lions do with their two first-rounders in 2022 will depend on how he performs in his sixth NFL season. Detroit does have a potential out on Goff's contract after the 2022 season with a $10 million dead cap hit, so it could certainly be in the quarterback market next April," McShay writes. "Slovis is 6-foot-3 with a strong arm, and his 70% completion percentage over 2019-20 ranks seventh among FBS signal-callers."
In 2020, Slovis was the starter for USC in its six-game, COVID-19-abbreviated season. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound signal-caller passed for 1,921 yards, 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
"Slovis had a breakout year as a true freshman, where he took over in the first game of the 2019 season after starting quarterback sophomore JT Daniels tore his ACL. Slovis went on to lead the Trojans to a 31-23 victory over Fresno State," per SI's All Trojans USC site. "He sported a 71.9 completion percentage as USC went 8-5 that year. At one point, Slovis was the front runner for the 2022 Heisman Trophy award, however that conversation has died down. But Slovis can still find himself as a Heisman candidate if he produces freshman year-like numbers once again."
