How Trey Lance is likely the key to the Detroit Lions draft

Draft day scenario 2:  Let’s make a deal?

Some of the best throws from Lance’s workout included laser touch on a fifty-yard bomb down the sideline and nearly knocking his receiver over from the velocity of a quick post missile in the red zone. As the quarterback finished his last few throws, Jeremiah had this to say about Lance’s likely stock in the draft following the Pro Day:

"“To me, if you like Trey Lance and you’re picking outside the top ten, you’d better get to number seven.”"

Ahh, pick number seven.

Lance has drawn player comparisons to Josh Allen and young Cam Newton, and as the hype surrounding him builds, the potential for juicy offers from other teams only increases. Many analysts, Jeremiah included, believe that the Carolina Panthers are enamored with Lance and wouldn’t be able to pass him up if he were available by the eighth pick.

Therefore, the Lions’ slot just one position in front of Carolina becomes a major candidate for trade bait. While it’s hard to try and project just what Detroit could get in return, a late bidding war for spot number seven could potentially yield an additional two or three picks for the Lions, possibly even an extra first-rounder this year or next.

For a team with major talent deficiencies at nearly every position, one can certainly build a strong case that spreading the wealth and adding two or three positions can do a lot more for the team in the long run. If Holmes and Campbell have any nagging doubts at all, the option of taking the plunge with a risky QB choice doesn’t seem to make quite as much sense, since Goff is a former number one pick who’s won plenty of games and whose best football could very well still be ahead of him.

Final Thoughts

All course, all of this is purely speculative, and it’s hardly worth trying to piece together imaginary trade scenarios for players who haven’t even been drafted yet. For all we know, Atlanta (picking fourth) or Philadelphia (sixth) could make the reach and get Lance before the Lions even have the chance to even think about him or entertain offers for the pick.

On the other side of that, another month and a half is plenty of time for teams to get cold feet, to watch other impressive pro days, to decide that playing pitch and catch with wide-open receivers against Montana State and Western Illinois doesn’t quite compare to the Steelers’ rush defense breathing down your neck every play.

With that said, Trey Lance has an impressive, if incomplete, resume at the college level. His Pro Day gave many onlookers confirmation that he has the physical tools and attitude of a potential franchise QB.

There’s that perfect combination of potential weighed against red flags that could make him either vault into the top five or slide to the late first-round between now and draft day. With that number seven pick lined up and no tilting of their hand just yet, the Lions finding themselves playing some role in all of this is very much in play.

One way or another, the signs right now point towards Trey Lance (or perhaps just the perception of him) being the key to the Detroit Lions 2021 draft class. Get familiar with him; you’ll be hearing his name a lot between now and April 29th. View every throw from Trey Lance’s Pro Day here at the NFL’s YouTube Channel.