Getty Dan Campbell looks on during a Miami game.
The Detroit Lions are going to do their diligence in a big way in terms of the offseason market at quarterback, and the offseason rumor mill is set to heat up with another huge development on that front.
According to a piece by Dave Birkett in the Detroit Free Press, North Dakota State head coach Matt Entz confirmed that Lions head coach Dan Campbell will be in the house for quarterback Trey Lance’s pro day on Friday. Seeing Lance in-person is just one more part of the combination that could help tip the scales for the Lions eventually deciding to draft the rookie.
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Birkett wrote:
“North Dakota State coach Matt Entz said Thursday that Lions coach Dan Campbell is among the prominent NFL figures expected on campus Friday for quarterback Trey Lance’s pro day.
Entz said 30 of the NFL’s 32 teams will be represented and several general managers will be on hand, including the Chicago Bears’ Ryan Pace.”
Detroit picks seventh, and is in a spot where theoretically Lance could be in play for the team. Many have assumed the Lions would not draft a quarterback given Jared Goff is set to come to the team this offseason, but Brad Holmes has made it clear that he is going to be looking at everything as it relates to the quarterback spot.
At the very least, the Lions showing up for Lance’s pro day could help them bluff a team into thinking they want to draft the quarterback and then cashing in on a huge trade. At this point, whether the team wants Lance or not, it’s great business to give off the appearance that he is of interest to the squad.
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Trey Lance Highlights and Statistics
What will Campbell be watching when he gets to town? A raw prospect who can do a little bit of everything. Lance isn’t the most experienced young quarterback on the market this year, but he has put up some decent stats. In one full season as quarterback for North Dakota State in 2019, Lance passed for 2,786 yards and 18 touchdowns without an interception. Lance also rushed for 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns. Lance didn’t play in 2020 thanks to the fact that his team switched to the spring in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Even though he has limited game experience, Lance still looks the part as one of the next top passers in the league.
Obviously, Lance shows some major intrigue on his highlight reel but the biggest question is how quickly he will be able to adapt to the NFL and how much time he may need to get on the right track with the league. The stats and the eye-test show that he could be well on his way to a high selection, however.
Lance’s pro day could be a big deciding factor for a team like Detroit.
Will Lions Draft a Quarterback in 2021?
The Lions will have Jared Goff set to come in the building, and he seems primed to be at least the short term solution for the team. Goff is still 26 and theoretically could still have his best days ahead of him considering the fact he is 6-5 as a starter in the playoffs, appeared in a Super Bowl and played late in the 2020-2021 season with a thumb injury. Knowing this, it’s a wiser bet the Lions would consider a wideout or a defensive player with their first selection this year. A quarterback to add to the mix could be prioritized later in the draft, however.
Will Lance be in-play for the Lions given this connection? It will be fascinating to see how his pro day goes and what the Lions might feel about it when all is said and done.
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