Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace has made some questionable calls in his five-year tenure, but one of his most glaring errors has been his inability to draft and groom young quarterbacks within the organization. Since taking over as general manager in 2015, Pace has used just one draft pick in 42 selections on the quarterback position.
The quarterback Pace chose, Mitchell Trubisky, is currently in a competition for the starting job after being taken second overall in 2017, and if Trubisky doesn’t beat veteran Nick Foles, he’ll likely be playing elsewhere in 2021. Many analysts and draft experts seem to think Trubisky will be gone next year, and they think the Bears will finally draft another quarterback as a result — with a few linking the Bears to one quarterback in particular.
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NDSU QB Trey Lance Would Be Perfect Fit in Matt Nagy’s System
North Dakota State’s Trey Lance had a wildly impressive rookie season last year. In his first year as starting QB for the Bison, Lance was the ultimate dual-threat, displaying keen instincts as a passer and incredible athleticism as a rusher. Last season, Lance had 1,100 rushing yards with 14 rushing scores while also throwing for 2,786 yards. He would be the perfect fit in Matt Nagy’s RPO-heavy scheme, and while he only averaged 18 attempts a game, his instincts are there, which is key. Trubisky still looks too unsure too often, and Lance has the air of confidence needed to play in Chicago.
His accuracy was also one of his more laudable traits.
Lance went 192-287 with 28 touchdowns and no interceptions. The touchdowns-to-interceptions ratio is quite impressive, and his rating of 180.6 on the season will make him an attractive prospect to multiple teams. But a few draft experts think Lance will fall to the Bears in the first round after Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields are off the board.
QB Trey Lance is Currently Projected to Be Taken in Middle of First Round in 2021
Both Pro Football Focus and USA Today’s DraftWire have the Bears selecting Lance in the first-round next year. PFF notes that while Lance averaged 18 attempts a game, he has arm talent for days, and a very high ceiling.
“There’s the sticker shock of Lance’s 28-0 touchdown to interception ratio that will stick in people’s minds, but Lance is still a tier below Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields at this point. A big reason for that number is that Lance averaged an incredibly low 18 passing attempts a game last season. However, he’s got the easy arm talent and earned an 87.5 passing grade as a redshirt freshman.”
Lance was the first freshman to win the FCS Walter Payton Award, which is given to the top offensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision. The Bears have their first selection in the first round of the draft since 2018 next year, and regardless of where they fall on the board, they should be looking his way — barring a dreadful sophomore effort, of course.
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Multiple Analysts Predict Bears Will Land Play-Making QB in 2021 Draft