North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance has become one of the more intriguing names in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft. He may not receive as much hype as big-name quarterbacks like Justin Fields, Trevor Lawrence, or Zach Wilson, but he has big-time potential for the future.
A big part of the reason for his lack of hype is due to playing for a small school. Just like many other small-school quarterbacks before him, Lance has not received a ton of national attention. Despite the lack of attention, NFL teams are not going to shy away from taking him high in the draft.
During 2019 season with the Bison, Lance put his arm on full display. He completed 66.9 percent of his pass attempts for 2,786 yards, 28 touchdowns, and no interceptions. Lance also picked up 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground.
Looking ahead to the upcoming NFL Draft, there are quite a few teams in need of a quarterback. Here are four ideal landing spots for Trey Lance.
New York Jets
Quite simply, the Jets are going to need a quarterback. After winning their first game of the season against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 15, New York may have thrown away their chance to select Trevor Lawrence. Now, it is likely that the Jacksonville Jaguars will end up getting the No. 1 overall pick.
If that is indeed the case, the Jets will have a decision to make at No. 2 overall. Zach Wilson could be the pick, but Trey Lance would make sense as well.
Lance may not have played for a big school, but he would be a very intriguing pickup. Sam Darnold is still young and Lance could sit behind him for a year or two and learn the game. That would give the Jets a chance to develop him and see what they have for the future without rushing him onto the field.
San Francisco 49ers
Another team that could be looking for a quarterback of the future this offseason could be the 49ers. They may not be sold on Jimmy Garoppolo being the long-term quarterback of the future.
San Francisco will not have a top pick in this NFL Draft. They will have to take a quarterback in the early-middle of the draft should they choose to go that route. Lance might very well be their best bet.
The 49ers could also bring Lance along slowly behind Garoppolo. In a year or two, he could take over as the quarterback of the future. This would be quite possibly the best potential landing spot.
Chicago Bears
Over the last few years, the Bears have been hoping that Mitchell Trubisky would develop into their franchise quarterback. Unfortunately, he has yet to do so. Trubisky has shown some signs since taking the starting job back from Nick Foles, but there are still a ton of questions.
Ryan Pace needs to bring in a young quarterback. The Bears are going to pick in the middle of the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft as well. Taking a talent like Trey Lance could be exactly what Chicago needs to do.
Perhaps they give Trubisky another chance to start next season. He could make the most of it and become the long-term option. Or, he could end up losing his starting job to Lance in the near future.
Detroit Lions
One final destination that would make sense for Trey Lance would be the Lions. Matthew Stafford has been rumored to be on the trade block over the last couple of years. A trade would make a lot of sense this offseason.
Behind Stafford, the Lions have Chase Daniel as their primary backup. Daniel is not going to be an option that Detroit will want. Lance would be able to come in and play almost immediately.
That would be a risk to take, but the Lions need to take some risks. They have been out of contention for a few years now. Lance may not take them back to the playoffs immediately, but he could very well end up being the new franchise quarterback that the team can build around.