The Detroit Lions are one of the lucky teams going into the 2023 NFL Draft with a great draft pick despite being one of the better teams in the league last season. 

Most teams need to be bad to earn such a luxury. Fortunately for the Lions, the Rams (the original owners of the sixth-overall pick) were terrible in 2022. This gives the Lions a unique position in what is sure to be an explosive first round.

While many believe Detroit needs to focus on its defense, an obvious hole during a 2022 season that saw remarkable offensive play from a young group led by Jared Goff, the sixth-overall pick needs to go in a different direction.

With offense being king in the modern NFL and quarterback always being the most important position, the Lions would be better off selecting Anthony Richardson at six rather than a defensive star.

This will surely cause some concerns given the massive gamble that is this move, but being a great team in the NFL doesn't come from conservative thinking. Few teams are as lucky as the 49ers to make it to the NFC Championship (and beyond) over an extended period with mediocre quarterback play.

Great teams almost always have great quarterbacks. Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes were two of the best players on the field during the Super Bowl. Other young stars also headlined the playoffs at the position, such as Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, Dak Prescott, and Trevor Lawrence.

Having a great quarterback matters more than anything else in the game for most franchises, and the easiest way to turn a losing culture around is by hitting on a young star that has time to grow in a stable system.

Anthony Richardson is a heck of a gamble for a team that already appears to be trending in the right direction. Still, the Lions are reaching a crossroads that could lead to unprecedented success in the future if they handle a few moves in the right way.

Jared Goff is coming off one of the better years of his career, but there is an obvious ceiling in his game. No one would ever mistake Goff for being one of the top-10 quarterbacks in the league, and that is often a significant knock against a team with deep playoff aspirations.

While he may be raw, spending the sixth overall pick on a guy like Richardson is the exact type of gamble a team like the Lions needs to make, especially in a wide-open NFC outside of the Eagles.

Richardson has the raw talent to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league. A ridiculous arm and athleticism on the ground that rivals Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson will raise a lot of eyebrows in Richardson's direction, but it is also fair to say that some growth needs to happen before he reaches those levels.

That is why this is such a good move for a team like the Lions; they don't need Richardson to be excellent in year one. In fact, they don't need him to play. 

Goff is playing well enough to keep this team in playoff contention, and that helps tread water in the short term, but Richardson has the upside to put this team in contention for a Super Bowl down the road. 

This move might look risky on its face, but the choice is between being good and the potential for perennial greatness. Drafting Richardson at least opens the door for the higher-ceiling future. 

It's time to roll the dice.

Featured image via Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun