![\"Jared](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2194617410-1.jpg\")
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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
The Detroit Lions, according to a report from A to Z Sports, is looking at a “winning” quarterback in the 2026 NFL draft.<\/p>\n
While the Detroit Lions<\/a> signed veteran quarterback<\/a> Teddy Bridgewater<\/a> during the NFL offseason, they could still use some assurance in their quarterback room. Franchise quarterback Jared Goff<\/a>, thank God, has remained healthy<\/a> since joining the team in March of 2021, but if he gets injured for the longer term, the team needs a more solid quarterback room and one they can rely on for weeks or possibly even months.<\/p>\n So, who\u2019s available? With the high price of free agency quarterbacks, the Lions may snag someone in the NFL<\/a> draft. Or, they may also decide to really get creative and take someone who didn\u2019t make the draft.<\/p>\n Mike Payton at A to Z Sports has reported<\/a> that the Detroit Lions spent \u201ca lot of time talking with Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King after his throwing session\u201d back in January, and Payton thinks he would be an apt backup quarterback for Goff.<\/p>\n Georgia Tech Quarterback Haynes King May Finally Be the Answer to a Jared Goff Backup<\/p>\n In a Thursday, April 9 feature for A to Z Sports, Mike Payton names King as one of the \u201cbest guys the Lions can steal<\/a> after the 2026 NFL draft\u201d in a quiet signing.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s talk about the guys who are not likely to get drafted, but could be signed by the Lions after the draft,\u201d he states in the piece.<\/p>\n On King, Payton says that this Georgia Tech standout gives the Lions the possibility of \u201chaving their own version of Taysom Hill, and that is exactly what King could be for the Lions. I\u2019m talking about a practice squad guy you can elevate against certain teams and run some trick plays with.\u201d<\/p>\n Payton adds that King has the ability to \u201cmove on his feet\u201d and can \u201ccatch the ball\u201d and throw. \u201cThis would be fun,\u201d Payton adds. \u201cHe also has some premium backup upside.\u201d<\/p>\n For what it\u2019s worth, Payton also picks a Michigan player for the Detroit Lions who likely won\u2019t be selected in the draft in linebacker Jimmy Rolder. \u201cHe\u2019s very instinctive and reactive, and if he had more playing time at Michigan, we could be talking about a guy who would get drafted,\u201d Payton states. But, on the downside, he only has one year as a starter.<\/p>\n Haynes King\u2019s NFL Draft Profile Shows Why He May Be a Good Fit for the Detroit Lions<\/p>\n King\u2019s official NFL draft profile calls the player<\/a>\u00a0\u201ca long-legged, dual-threat quarterback who displayed admirable resilience in becoming a productive, winning player after suffering through unmet expectations at Texas A&M.\u201d<\/p>\n Lions fans will like that he\u2019s being called a \u201cgrit-and-guts passer,\u201d but his profile also warns that he has \u201csubpar footwork and mechanics.\u201d But, on the good side, \u201che finds ways to make plays when needed. He\u2019s not nearly the passer he needs to be for the pro game, but his talent as a runner and mental toughness could give a boost to his chances.\u201d<\/p>\n So, King would be an interesting pick for the Lions after the 2026 NFL draft. He wouldn\u2019t have much experience, but over time, he could be molded into a decent backup for Goff.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tAnne Erickson<\/a> is an award-winning reporter for Heavy Sports covering the NFL, NBA and college football. Anne Erickson has years of experience covering the NFL and additional sports, and her work has been published via ESPN, Fox Sports and more. She has interviewed some of the biggest names in sports, including Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Erickson also hosts several podcasts and is a Detroit-based radio host. More about Anne Erickson<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Lions\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty The Detroit Lions, according to a report from A to Z Sports, is looking at a “winning”…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":862761,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2071],"tags":[146,113,2506,7,147,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-862760","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-detroit-lions","8":"tag-detroit","9":"tag-detroit-lions","10":"tag-detroitlions","11":"tag-football","12":"tag-lions","13":"tag-nfl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116377998296255143","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/862760","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=862760"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/862760\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/862761"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=862760"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=862760"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=862760"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}