When talking about the top quarterbacks in this year's NFL Draft, we must not forget that there was a big three before Zach Wilson had his breakout season. The question entering the season was whether it was Justin Fields or Trey Lance that was the 2nd best quarterback. 

With others having great years, and North Dakota State only playing one “thrown-together” game due to Covid-19, it can be quite easy to forget about Trey. He had a great season in his own right in 2019, with 28 passing touchdowns and zero interceptions. He rushed for 14 more touchdowns, leading the Bison to an FCS Championship in his lone season as a starter. How does Trey Lance stack up against what is becoming an increasingly crowded quarterback field? For that answer, we go to the tape.

Trey Lance has one of the highest ceilings in the entire draft class. He has a legitimate argument for the strongest arm this year. The ball flies out of his hands, and he can hit throws 50+ yards down the field with ease. He has good zip-on passes outside of the numbers. You don’t have to worry about the ball fluttering at all with Lance. He has some of the best arm talent I’ve ever seen. He throws well on the run and can make some insane throws.

Besides his bazooka of an arm, the other most exciting thing about Lance is his mobility. Lance is one of the best runners in this quarterback class and is a dangerous threat to take off when plays break down, or to keep it in the option game. He has great speed but also is a very tough runner. He’s not afraid to lower his shoulder and fight for extra yardage. His legs always have to be taken into account.

What surprised me most about Lance was how he was used at North Dakota State. As a big-armed running quarterback, you would think he would be operating mostly out of the shotgun. A good amount of the time, Trey Lance is operating under center, dealing off of play-action. He reminds me a lot of Ryan Tannehill when watching. A big athletic quarterback with a really good arm, who plays great off of play-action. I wouldn’t just saddle him under center of course, but it just further shows that Trey Lance has diversity in his game even at such a young age.

I think while his ceiling is as high as anyone’s in this class, Lance has a bit lower of a floor than Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields. To start out with, there is of course a big transition in the level of competition for Lance. That transition to the NFL is hard enough for a quarterback playing at a top school but even harder for someone coming from the FCS. The game will be way faster, and Lance will have to adjust.

One thing I’d like to see Trey Lance do is get the ball out faster. I think a big reason that he holds onto the ball for a good amount of time is that he’s really trying to read the field. He just needs to keep steadily improving at going through progressions, and getting the ball out faster. I want to see him improve his feel for pressure as well. Lance is pretty calm and collected in the pocket, but sometimes can be a bit too calm and get sacked. That can come with more experience though.

Another area that I want to see Lance improve on is his deep ball accuracy. I wouldn’t call Lance an inaccurate quarterback, he has good overall accuracy, especially along the sidelines, but he can improve deep. He has such a great arm, but can sometimes be a tad bit inconsistent down the field. Once he gets the accuracy down, Lance will be scary. 

I don’t want to be too hard on Lance, because he is only 20 and had only one season of experience as a starter. I’d be willing to bet as a coach that I can work out his issues.

Overall, Trey Lance is an exciting prospect that I really wish had a shot to further prove himself this year. With great years from Wilson, Fields, and of course Lawrence, it can be easy to forget about Trey Lance. I believe that Lance has one of the highest ceilings in this entire class, and can be like a created player in Madden if he truly reaches his potential. He has a great arm, great mobility, and is more advanced at reading the field than you would first believe. There are some things he needs to work on, and a year sitting might do him well, but Trey Lance is certainly worth a look early in the first round.

Writer

-By: Jacob Keppen

Michigan quarterback Joe Milton announced his decision to enter the transfer portal on Thursday. The embattled QB struggled to find his footing in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season at Michigan and hopes to find greener pastures elsewhere.

With Milton entering his name into the portal, which quarterbacks have found the best fits in their new home so far this offseason? Let’s examine.

McKenzie Milton: UCF to FSU

It has been no mystery that FSU has been a mess for the last four years, but there’s a good chance that could change with a legit elite option under center like Milton. The 5’11, 185 pounder announced his transfer back in December, spending the last two years trying to come back from a devastating knee injury he suffered at the end of the 2018 season vs USF.

It’s been so long since we’ve seen Milton on the field, that some have forgotten just how good he was in the Knights run of 25-straight wins in the 2017-18 seasons (completing more than 60 percent of his passes, and scoring 62 passing touchdowns, while adding 17 more on the ground). 

Milton joins his former rival coach Mike Norvell (Memphis), who is known for his offensive proficiency. Both Norvell and Milton hope to unlock some hidden potential here, hoping to bring Florida State back to the top of the ACC in 2021.

Grant Gunnell: Arizona to Memphis

Gunnell had a tough couple of years down in Tucson. The 6-6 signal-caller started three games in both 2019 and 2020 for the Wildcats, but an injured shoulder against UCLA and the firing of Kevin Sumlin derailed his Arizona career, causing him to hit the transfer portal.

Memphis needs to replace Brady White, a transfer himself out of the Grand Canyon State (also transferred from Arizona State after the 2017 season). Gunnell is extremely confident he is the guy to replace White in that offense.

"In high school, my coach gave me a lot of freedom, and he allowed me to make decisions at the line of scrimmage and make checks," Gunnell told 247Sports. "I'm ready to get back to that, and I'm ready to get back to pushing the ball down the field. I think Memphis’ offense is going to fit me better than Arizona's did."

Jack Coan: Wisconsin to Notre Dame

This is more of a good system fit than anything. In Coan’s lone season as a starter at Wisconsin in 2019, he tossed 18 touchdowns against five interceptions and completed 69 percent of his passes in a run-heavy system with Jonathan Taylor.

Coan’s role at Notre Dame will offer him a similar structure to the one he ran with the Badgers. All Coan needs to do is play manager here; lean heavily on the run with that strong Irish offensive line, use budding star tight end Michael Mayer as a top target and complement Notre Dame’s elite defense to his advantage. Coan should be the odds-on favorite to start under center in 2021 for the Irish.

Ja’Quinden Jackson/Charlie Brewer: Texas/Baylor to Utah

I wanted to include both of these because I don’t think it’s clear who will start (I don’t think Kyle Whittingham knows either. Not that he should, c’mon, it’s February). Utah is primed to jump back to the top of the Pac-12 South, and these two could be huge in helping them get there.

Talk about a pair of different play styles, though. Jackson was the No. 3 dual-threat QB in the class of 2020 by 247Sports. He’s a superb athlete who’s a major threat with the ball in his hands, having passed for 40 touchdowns and running for 51 during his high school career at Duncanville.

Charlie Brewer is the more experienced out of the duo and should bring a steady presence under center. After three years in Waco, throwing for 9,700 yards and 65 touchdowns, Brewer announced his transfer to Utah back in December with one year of eligibility left. Whittingham will have his handsful evaluating which of these two he wants leading his program once pads come on in the spring.

Writer

-By: TJ Mathewson

After weeks of rumors, the Eagles finally traded Carson Wentz. The initial return for Philly felt a bit underwhelming, but there is a chance for it to become a solid deal after a year.

It happened, folks. After a career-worst season in 2020, the Eagles traded Carson Wentz to the Colts and are seemingly moving on with 2020 draft pick Jalen Hurts. In exchange, Philadelphia received a third-round draft choice this year and a conditional pick for next season. If Carson Wentz plays 75% or more of snaps for the Colts, the conditional selection will be a first-rounder. If he plays just 70 but the Colts make the postseason, it will still be a first. If neither of those conditions are met, it will be just a second-rounder.

The Colts have been in the quarterback market since the abrupt retirement of Andrew Luck, going through one-year stints with current backup Jacoby Brissett and Chargers legend Philip Rivers. Rivers, with the help of a great defense, steered the team to an 11-5 record and a playoff spot, but he retired after a first-round exit. Now a team considered “a quarterback away from Super Bowl contention”, the Colts had to make a move quickly. They did.

For the Eagles, it was an interesting run with the 2016 #2 overall pick. After a shaky rookie season, Wentz nearly won MVP of the league in 2017, throwing for 3,296 yards, 33 TDs, and 7 INTs in 13 games (11-2 record). An injury caused him to miss the final three games of the regular season and the playoffs, but the Eagles were able to collect the franchise’s first Super Bowl ring despite. In 2018, he was shut down early once again thanks to a back injury, but he had a decent season, throwing for 21 TDs and 7 INTs. In 2019, after an injury-prone label started becoming attached to his name, Wentz dragged a terrible Eagles roster to the playoffs, racking up 4,039 yards, 27 TDs, and once again, just 7 INTs. 

It seemed as if he had shaken off the injury history and fully cemented himself as a franchise QB, but a questionable hit from Jadeveon Clowney knocked him out of his first playoff game just minutes in. After that, the Eagles did nothing to instill confidence in him, drafting a quarterback in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. After a career-worst season inspired by a loss of mechanics, shaky offensive line play, and once again, a terrible receiving corps, Wentz was benched by the Eagles ¾ through the season. Hurts showed some flashes, and clearly, it was enough for Howie Roseman and the front office to move on from the once-beloved, but now overpriced passer.

The 2016 draft class has now seen its first and second overall picks get traded in the same offseason. With Dak Prescott’s free agency looming, could we see the three best signal-callers from that draft get moved? Stay tuned.

*All stats come from Pro Football Reference and StatMuse

Writer

-By: Micah Jimoh