25 most sought after NFL quarterback draft prospects of all time

After leading Georgia to 30 wins in three seasons as the quarterback in Athens, Matthew Stafford was a lock to go to Detroit with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Stafford struggled as a freshman, throwing more interceptions than touchdowns, as he went in and out of the starting role. By 2007, he owned the position for the Bulldogs, leading them to a 41-10 rout of BCS Buster Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl as a sophomore.

Stafford followed that up with an SEC-leading 3,459 yards in his junior season, as Georgia finished with a 10-3 record and another bowl victory. The Detroit Lions, coming off the first 0-16 season in league history, were desperate for a competent quarterback. Looking at Stafford’s record and prototypical size, the Lions wasted no time as they selected Stafford out of the gate.

Knee and shoulder injuries derailed Stafford’s first few seasons in the NFL, but he showed resilience in returning as the starter for the Lions in 2011. That year, he took the Lions to the playoffs for the first time in the 21st century, earning an NFC Wild Card berth after a 10-6 regular season. For the effort, Stafford won the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award.

Playoff appearances followed in 2014 and 2016, though the Lions have never managed to make any extended run in the postseason. In 141 starts, Stafford has gone 66-75. With more than 4,000 passing yards in six of the past seven campaigns leading into the 2019 NFL season, Stafford has evolved into a fantasy football favorite.

Success on a team level has been fleeting for Stafford, but he has been individually brilliant as one of the top quarterbacks in the league. He is signed to star in the Motor City through 2023 thanks to a 2017 contract extension that made him the most expensive player in the league at that time.