Brad Kaaya expected to hear his name on Day 2 of the 2017 NFL Draft, possibly even sneaking into the third round. Instead, the former University of Miami quarterback lasted until the sixth round when the Detroit Lions selected him with the 215th pick.
NFLDraftScout.com's Spencer Hall gave the pick a B+, calling Kaaya "a developmental quarterback prospect with a decent arm, footwork and mental process, but needs to work on decision making and handling pressure."
No doubt disappointed about lasting until late on Day 3, Kaaya, who was the all-time leading passer at Miami, will now battle for the right to back up franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford. Lions general manager Bob Quinn spelled out his game plan for the position prior to last year's draft, and there's little reason to think anything's changed since then.
"I think it's really good football business to acquire a young quarterback every year or every other year," Quinn said at the time. "There's such a value in the position and nowadays in college football there's a lot of spread offenses, which means it's a lot different than pro football. So it takes these young quarterbacks time to develop. So if you can add a young quarterback every year or every other year to your roster, it's good football business in my mind. So you have time to develop them, either on the practice squad or as a backup, before eventually them having to play in a game."
This explains why the Lions selected quarterback Jake Rudock in the sixth round in 2016, and why they doubled-down with Kaaya on Saturday.
With similar body type and arm strength, Kaaya has a lot of the same traits that made Jared Goff the No. 1 overall pick in 2016. Kaaya isn't as poised under pressure or consistent with his decision-making, which is why he fell to the end of the sixth round.
