As we turn the calendar to July, we are inching ever closer to Detroit Lions training camp. The rookies will report on Saturday, July 20, and the veterans will arrive on Tuesday, July 23.
With that in mind, we're beginning our training camp preview series that will take a look at every position group. We'll identify the roster locks, players on the bubble, competitions to watch, and then make a 53-man roster prediction.
We start at the quarterback spot, where the Lions have an entrenched starter in Jared Goff, who is slowly starting to get more respect nationally after two impressive seasons in a row.
But things aren't completely settled at the position, as the job behind Goff is up for grabs. Let's break it all down in our first training camp preview.
Lions training camp preview
Roster locks
Jared Goff, Hendon Hooker
Goff is locked in for the long haul after the Lions gave him a massive four-year extension in May. The veteran signal-caller's numbers have improved in each year he's been in Detroit and Goff has played a huge role in the franchise's resurgence.
Hooker didn't have a normal rookie year, as the Tennessee product spent it working his way back from a torn ACL suffered during his final collegiate campaign. We did see quite a bit of Hooker during the offseason program, and he had an up-and-down showing overall, as you'd expect from someone who is basically a rookie.
On the bubble
Nate Sudfeld
Sudfeld originally landed in Detroit in 2022. The Lions brought him back in 2023, but his season ended before it started due to a torn ACL. Sudfeld was present and taking part during the offseason program and will look to earn his way onto the roster in training camp.
It's possible the Lions keep a third quarterback no matter what, but Sudfeld making the roster could hinge on what the team sees in Hooker and how confident they are that he can handle the backup job.
The good news for Sudfeld is that the Lions see value in him in more ways than one, so that could help him make the roster even if he doesn't win the QB2 job.
“Now, he hasn’t played a lot, but he’s been around a lot. This is what Nate brings to the table,” quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell told reporters during the spring. “He’s been in multiple systems. He is a hard-working guy with a great attitude. He’s excellent in the room. He’s excellent in the locker room, guys like him, but he’s very smart. He understands situational football as well as anybody I’ve been around. We ask a lot of our quarterbacks at the line of scrimmage and in the huddle. We ask our guys to get us into the right play.
“So, if you have a play and there’s a problem over there, you have to be able to fix it. And within the parameters of the play, we have the opportunity to go from one play to the next depending on what we’re seeing, and 99 percent of the time, Nate is right.”
Competition to watch
Backup QB: Nate Sudfeld vs. Hendon Hooker
We have Hooker as a roster lock due to the fact that he's a recent third-round draft pick, but his role is uncertain. Hooker will compete against Sudfeld for the backup quarterback job in training camp.
Sudfeld obviously has the edge in experience, but the book on him is already written and there isn't any upside there. Hooker remains a total wild card after he didn't see any playing time in Year 1, but he figures to have the higher ceiling, although that may take more time to hit.
While Hooker showed flashes during the offseason program, he wasn't perfect by any means. Sudfeld was as steady as you'd expect him to be in practices in shorts and t-shirts and Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com noted that the battle for the backup job between Hooker and Sudfeld might be "tighter than people think."
We may not have an answer on who wins the competition until we see how things play out during the preseason, when both signal-caller will see significant snaps. Ideally, Hooker leaves no doubt with a strong showing.
53-man roster prediction
Who makes the cut: Jared Goff, Hendon Hooker
Ultimately, Hooker is going to win this competition outright and Sudfeld will get cut, but the Lions should be able to bring him back on the practice squad. There, Sudfeld can provide a veteran backup option while also keeping his smarts in Detroit's quarterbacks room.
No matter who wins it, this competition is one to keep a close eye on, as an injury to Goff that forces him to miss time could sink the Lions' season if they don't have a competent backup capable of keeping the ship afloat.
