ESPN Now Says Detroit Lions Have Top NFL QB Situation

ESPN released a power rankings of every teams’ quarterback depth charts from one to 32. The Detroit Lions found a surprising position.

There was a point in time this franchise had one of the most laughable QB situations in NFL history. Oh how times have changed. The list started out in predictable fashion. Tom Brady, Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett had the New England Patriots comfortably atop the pecking order. Aaron Rodgers with his singular brilliance put the Packers in second place. Matt Ryan, thanks to his latest MVP run now has the Atlanta Falcons in third.

Then, right there in fourth place and last in the “Completely Confident” category. Not hard to guess at this point. ESPN writer Dan Graziano explained why the Lions are that high.

"4. Detroit LionsMatthew Stafford hasn’t missed a game since 2010. Although he doesn’t chuck it as much as he used to, people around the Lions rave about the way he and offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter have connected. Stafford is enjoying his role at the helm of Cooter’s offense, which relies more on shorter, quicker throws than the offenses Stafford used to operate. It would be a big drop-off to backup Jake Rudock, but sixth-round pick Brad Kaaya offers interesting possibilities if he can develop quickly into the No. 2."

Indeed Stafford remains one of the best quarterbacks going in the NFL today. Where the Lions really began to improve is in their depth. Rudock and Kaaya are both experienced players out of proven big college programs at Michigan and Miami respectively. They aren’t at the same level of talent as Stafford but both have enough to warrant the idea they could hold the position down for a stretch if required. That kind of security is hard to find.

Time will tell if it ever does them any good where it matters in the playoffs. So far it hasn’t.