This week could determine whether the Detroit Lions are ready to join the rest of the National Football League’s better teams.

The college draft — an event that has often seen the Lions fail miserably — starts Thursday.

Think about it.

This is the team that wasted (that’s not strong enough of a word) on such flops as Andre Ware, Chuck Long, Joey Harrington, Aaron Gibson and Charles Rogers.

All of the above players made little or no impact for the team, despite the fact they were No. 1 picks in the draft.

Now, with a new general manager in charge in Bob Quinn, it’s time for the Lions to roll the dice.

Both of the scenarios I would support involve current quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Now, some of you are probably saying that Stafford already holds most of Detroit’s passing records, and that he’s at the top of his career.

But the one statistic that really stands out in Stafford’s resume is the 1-26 record he has posted against teams that have qualified for the playoffs.

Sure, Stafford can lead a team to the playoffs, but he can’t get them any further.

I would like to see Quinn offer Stafford to the Houston Texans, who are just a decent QB from being a legitimate Super Bowl team.

In return, the Lions would receive defensive stalwart J.J. Watt or a boatload of draft picks from the Texans. Much like the Dallas Cowboys did in the Herschel Walker trade that propelled them to three Super Bowls

Watt would bolster a Detroit defense that is already improving and bring some swagger to the team.

Secondly, send Stafford to the woeful Cleveland Browns, who have no less than three draft picks in the top 33 (first pick in second round) this season.

Use those picks wisely to pick up a bruising runner in Leonard Fournette, a quarterback like Deshaun Watson and some help in the secondary.

The big question would be whether Stafford would okay the trade to a bottom-feeder like the Browns.

I think if you offer him enough money, he might go for it.

Watson and second-year man Jake Rudock could battle for the starting QB job, which would consist mainly of handing the ball off to Fournette, who looks like the next impact runner in the league.

Whether any of this can happen is questionable. But Quinn comes from the Patriots, a team noted for its adeptness in the draft.