Detroit Lions position battles and roster breakdown: Quarterback
By Zac Snyder
Who could surprise
Everyone should know what to expect from Matthew Stafford at this point so it’s hard to envision a scenario in which he turns out to be a surprise during the 2017 season. That leaves Jake Rudock and Brad Kaaya for consideration.
It is hard to expect much from a rookie quarterback that was drafted in the sixth round but Brad Kaaya is the name to watch for a quarterback who could surprise in 2017. Maybe part of it is the unknown with him being the newcomer to the group, but while Rudock was always considered a late-round draft prospect, not many would have guessed that fate for Kaaya a year ago.
Trying to predict a draft a year out is always an exercise in futility, but Kaaya went from a possible first round pick to being selected by the Lions in the sixth round. That was in large part to his play at Miami last season, so which is the real Kaaya? The guy who looked like he’d be a high draft pick, or the guy who ended up a sixth round pick?
Maybe the early round hype was always too optimistic, but it’s hard to overlook that as part of his pre-NFL profile. Even if Kaaya does quickly prove to be as good of a value as Bob Quinn believes and turns out to be the pleasant surprise of the group, that won’t have much, if any, impact on the team next season. All it means is Kaaya may be able to clearly beat out Rudock for primary backup duties.