Early 2026 Draft Buzz: Two Athletic Quarterbacks Lions Could Target

Detroit Lions could be intrigued by these two quarterbacks.

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green (10) drops back to pass during the fourth quarter against the Missouri Tigers | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions will do their due diligence at every position all throughout the pre-draft process.

Lions offensive assistant Marques Tuiasosopo is coaching quarterbacks for the American Team at the 2026 Senior Bowl.

Scouts are also evaluating talent at all of the pre-draft All-Star games.

Heading into the 2026 NFL Draft, the Lions have clear needs in the trenches. But, a position that could also be targeted in later rounds is at quarterback.

Veteran Kyle Allen was the backup to Jared Goff, and C.J. Beathard spent the last season on Detroit's practice squad.

The last time Detroit targeted a quarterback in the draft was back in 2023. Unfortunately, Hendon Hooker did not develop into a productive player during his tenure in Motown.

He was cut prior to the start of the 2025 season.

Here are two athletic quarterbacks the Lions could be interested in adding to the roster in 2026.

Haynes King

Scouts at the East-West Shrine Bowl had contact with Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King.

The talented signal-caller finished the 2025 season with 2,697 passing yards, 922 rushing yards, and 27 total touchdowns. As a result, he was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Year and the ACC Player of the Year.

The 25-year-old made the decision to play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

“I mean, throughout this year, we put our blood, sweat, and tears into this team. I'm not one to quit and just, you know, be selfish and go about my business. I always finish what I start," said King. "That's just kind of how I was raised. My mentality going into this game is just we're going to one, go out there and have fun, but two, try to go out there and execute and find ways to win. It's always more fun when you win."

Unfortunately, the Yellowjackets were defeated by the BYU Cougars, 25-21.

Taylen Green

The talented Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback was listed by beat writer Dave Birkett as a player to watch at this week's Senior Bowl.

According to the Free Press, "I don’t know if the Lions will be in the market to draft a quarterback this year, but Lions assistant Marques Tuiasosopo is coaching QBs for the American Team. He’ll get an up-close look at Green, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and Illinois’ Luke Altmyer. Nussmeier (a potential top-50 pick) and Altmyer are considered better prospects than Green, but Green ran for 2,400 yards in his four years as a starter (two at Boise State, two at Arkansas) and could be worth a late-round flyer. "

Playing collegiately at Arkansas (2024-2025), King appeared in 12 games with 11 starts as a redshirt senior in 2025. The athletic quarterback went 198-326 in passing attempts for 2,714 yards, 19 touchdowns with 11 interceptions.

He rushed for 777 yards and an additional eight touchdowns on 139 carries. His six 300-yard passing games at Arkansas were the third-most by a Razorback signal-caller in the history of the program. He ranked fifth in program history in rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (16).