Steelers Draft: Ranking the quarterbacks of the 2021 NFL Draft
By Tommy Jaggi
Tier 3: High risk, high reward
Trey Lance, North Dakota State
If you’re going to take a chance in the draft, take it at the quarterback position. That’s my motto. Trey Lance is a guy who has earned a ton of buzz since having a remarkable 2019 season that included 42 total touchdowns (14 of them rushing) and 0 interceptions. He did all of this while having one of the biggest arms and best set of legs in the country.
However, there is still plenty of risks involved here. Lance did all of this on a cupcake schedule and he beat up on inferior opponents playing at North Dakota State. Had he played in the SEC or Big Ten, it’s reasonable to think that his numbers wouldn’t have been this good. In addition, Lance opted out of the 2020 season after one less-than-impressive game.
While Lance is as risky as they come being a non-Power 5 player with very little game experience, he is the perfect type of quarterback to take a chance on: one with an immense amount of tools and upside. It’s unlikely that Lance falls far enough for the Steelers to take a shot at him (unless they are willing to move up), but he is a perfect candidate to sit behind a veteran for a year before taking over in 2022.