Has Matthew Stafford been worthy of a No. 1 draft pick?

Matthew Stafford is entering the final year of his contract, and Lions general manager Bob Quinn told Pro Football Talk that both sides are working on an extension.

Quinn indicated that the process will take time, but that he wants Stafford to remain in Detroit.

“I have a great deal of respect for Matt,” Quinn said. “I think he’s a very good quarterback that has all the leadership and off the field traits that we look for in the quarterback position, and his on-field ability I think is well-documented. His arm strength, his mobility, which he used more of this year. I think he has all those things and we need to do a better job and I need to do a better of putting more pieces around him so we have a better team around him so he doesn’t have to carry the entire load.”

That’s level-headed thinking. Some general managers would look at Stafford’s 0-3 playoff record, get antsy and try to upgrade from a quarterback like Stafford. The Lions aren’t going to fix what’s not broken. They’re fortunate to have their franchise quarterback in place. At the same time, when crunching the numbers, they’re going to assess just how good Stafford is and pay him accordingly.

Stafford’s place among current NFL quarterbacks is an interesting question. Very few would say he’s the best quarterback or even put him in the top five. A case can be made that he belongs in the top 10, especially since he’s ranked in the top 10 in passing yards for six straight years.

But is that good enough for a quarterback who was drafted No. 1? The Lions made Stafford the top pick of the 2009 draft. He’s one of nine active quarterbacks who were taken with the first pick. One of those quarterbacks has won two Super Bowls. Another has been to a Super Bowl. At this point in time, however, it’s not a stretch to say that Stafford is the best of the bunch.

Jared Goff? Please.

Jameis Winston? Make the playoffs and we’ll talk.

Sam Bradford? He came through in a pinch for the Vikings last season, but lost twice to Stafford.

Alex Smith? He’s won playoff games, but Stafford has him beat in 2016 passer rating (93.3-91.2) and career rating (86.8-85.3).

Carson Palmer? They’re in the same ballpark statistically but he’s only 1-3 in the playoffs and he’s nine years older than the 29-year-old Stafford.

Now we get to the quarterbacks who have made deep postseason runs.

Andrew Luck is 3-3 in the playoffs and has made three Pro Bowls compared to just one for Stafford. He’s missed 10 games in the last two years, however, and is spending the offseason recovering from shoulder surgery. Stafford has started every game since 2011, playing through a dislocated finger on his throwing hand at the end of last season. His durability is a plus.

Eli Manning has two Super Bowl rings, but at 36 he’s starting to show his age. He hasn’t thrown less than 14 interceptions since 2008. Interceptions were a problem for Stafford early in his career, but he threw 12 in 2014 (his Pro Bowl year), 13 in 2015 and a career-low 10 last season.

Cam Newton reached the Super Bowl two years ago, but he threw just 19 touchdown passes in 2016 with 14 interceptions compared to Stafford’s 24 TDs and 10 picks. Four of Newton’s touchdown passes came against the pitiful 49ers in Week 2.

The Lions don’t have to pay for a Super Bowl if and when they re-sign Stafford. It could be an opportunity to buy low if Stafford eventually gets them there. Even if he doesn’t, the Lions made good use of the first overall pick in 2009.

About Mike Batista