The Lions added a second rookie quarterback in the draft process. After selecting Hendon Hooker in the third round, Detroit also signed Kansas State QB Adrian Martinez as an undrafted free agent.
If you didn’t pay close attention to college football in 2022, you might be taken aback by seeing Martinez being from Kansas State. Yes, it’s the same Martinez who played at Nebraska for what seemed like a decade. And if you watched Martinez at Nebraska, you might also wonder how he’s in the NFL.
His one year with the Wildcats opened up both his game and the NFL’s eyes. In K-State’s overhauled offense, Martinez found a better balance between his aggressive tendencies and making better decisions with the ball. He improved his pocket presence and patience, putting more trust in his line and his receivers than he ever demonstrated at Nebraska.
Martinez offers a lot of running ability. He accelerates quickly and has natural wiggle, power, and vision as a runner. He isn’t a threat to throw once he starts running, however. The 4.55 40-yard dash time at the NFL Scouting Combine is legit and translates to the field. The 23-year-old rushed for over 500 yards in all five of his college seasons.
Martinez does have a live arm with excellent exit velocity on his throws. The accuracy is inconsistent, and his touch on throws over the middle is lacking. Martinez tends to lose sight of defenders when he gets pressured. That got better in 2022 but still needs to improve if Martinez wants to stick — even on the practice squad.
His best bet to remain in Detroit is presenting a dual-threat option in practices to challenge and prepare the defense for the likes of Justin Fields and Lamar Jackson. Accuracy issues and an inability to reliably handle pressure are real limiting factors for Martinez in the NFL.
