The Detroit Lions have bookend picks in the first round of the upcoming NFL Draft, with the 2nd and 32nd overall selections.
While most attention is understandably focused on the first of those two picks, it's actually the late first-rounder that could become an inflection point in the draft.
This according to at least one prominent draft guru, ESPN's Todd McShay, who sees the the Lions as a potential landing spot for a quarterback at No. 32 (subscription required).
But according to McShay, the Lions' perceived interest in taking a quarterback could lead to the Cincinnati Bengals receiving calls about the 31st pick from QB-needy teams hoping to jump in front of the Lions.
The Bengals could trade back into the early or middle second round, pick up an extra selection or two in the trade, and still get a similar player to one they might take at 31, McShay notes.
The incoming class of quarterbacks is not considered to be an especially deep one, prompting a wide range of speculation about where players such as Pitt's Kenny Pickett, Liberty's Malik Willis, and Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder will eventually go in the draft.
In a separate ESPN piece, draft analyst Matt Miller noted that the quarterbacks' respective draft stock seems to be dipping in recent days and weeks, possibly indicating they're more likely to come off the board late in the first round or in the second round.
Thus the Lions' pick at 32 seems to be shaping up as a potential starting point for a run on quarterbacks.
Detroit has long been thought to be interested in finding a long-term answer at the game's most important position, as an eventual successor to current starter Jared Goff.
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