NFL analyst suggests the Lions trade for one of the most popular trade targets available and after Thursday, he may be right

If we learned anything from Thursday night it's that the Lions might have a quarterback problem outside of Jared Goff. Both Nate Sudfeld and Hendon Hooker left a lot to be desired in the first preseason game of the year.

Sudfeld completed just 54.2% of his passes and threw a really bad interception. He also got sacked four times. Hooker made some nice plays on the ground, but he struggled through the air. He only completed 55.6% of his passes. That's not great. Scrambling is cool, but you have to throw the ball in this game. Plus Hooker was taken out of the game early and brought to the locker room by trainers. We don't yet know happened there.

ESPN analyst Seth Walder recently put together and list of trades that he says make too much sense . He has the Lions trading for Falcons' quarterback Taylor Heinicke in this story and the Lions get him for super cheap. Here's the proposal:

Lions get: Taylor Heinicke
Falcons get: 2025 seventh-round pick.

Heinicke has been one of the most popular trade rumor guys of the offseason and it makes sense. He's started 28 games in the last three seasons and he's actually looked pretty good in those games. still, he's not seen as a full time starter, but he is seen as one of the best QB2 options in the league. That's what the Lions need.

The only reason the Falcons would move on from him is becasue they just signed Kirk Cousins and drafted Michael Penix. They're heading that direction.

Your thought process might be to wonder if the Lions could just get Heinicke when the Falcons cut him at the end of the month. The answer is almost defintley no. The Lions are pretty far down the waiver wire and other teams above them will likely be looking to put a claim in.

In this case the Lions get him early enough to where he can spend time in camp and the Lions can maybe get him in a preseason game or two. This doesn't mean Hendon Hooker goes. There's been a lot of smoke around the idea that the Lions will look to carry three quarterbacks into the season. The Lions can give Hooker the time he needs to develop and get reps and then they can proceed with him next season. Heinicke gives the team a premium backup right now.

Related: Detroit Lions 53-man roster and depth chart prediction after Week 1 of the preseason