Denver Broncos trade up for Trey Lance in 7-round mock draft
By Lucas Schuh
The Denver Broncos future may hang in the balance of the 2021 NFL Draft, so they must be aggressive to make the right moves.
The Denver Broncos had two major needs coming into the offseason, cornerback and quarterback. New general manager George Paton took care of the first part with the additions of Kyle Fuller and Ronald Darby in free agency. With the 2021 NFL Draft less than two weeks away, though, quarterback remains a question mark.
Drew Lock, a 2019 second-round pick, is the current starter. While he raised some optimism with some late starts in his rookie season, he struggled for the most part in 2020, hence the concerns at the position. And trades ahead of their selection, No. 9 overall, have made that more difficult.
The 49ers trading up to the No. 3 pick meant that at least three of the top five quarterbacks were heading off the board ahead of them. Furthermore, other teams could very easily trade ahead of Denver at No. 9 with five picks coming before them, the Panthers at No. 8 being one of them. That could push the Broncos to make a big move that will have a major impact on the future of the franchise.
This 7-round mock draft for the Denver Broncos was compiled using the Mock Draft Simulator on the NFL Mock Draft Database.
Quarterback. North Dakota State. Trey Lance. player. Scouting Report. 45. Pick Analysis. 1
Denver Broncos trade up to the No. 4 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft
Broncos receive: Round 1, Pick 4 (2021)
Falcons receiver: Round 1, Pick 9; Round 3, Pick 71; Round 5, Pick 152; Round 6, Pick 191 (2021); 2022 third- and fourth-round picks
If the Broncos want a quarterback to replace Lock and they want to have any kind of choice in who they add, they must trade up. Specifically, they must deal with the Atlanta Falcons to earn the No. 4 overall pick. That will give them the chance to get Trey Lance, a prospect as exciting as it gets.
The North Dakota State product measures in at 6-4, 225 pounds and with the ability to produce plenty of exciting plays. He has a cannon of an arm that can uncork some jaw-dropping throws. PFF even gave him the honor of having the strongest arm in the class.
In addition to that cannon, though, Lance is also a great runner. With his quick feet on top of his size and overall frame, he’s not easy to bring down in the open field.
No prospect is without weaknesses and Lance isn’t the exception. His offense at North Dakota State was rush-heavy and there were very few instances where he was asked to carry the offense as a thrower. He also benefitted from great talent at the FCS level with pass-catchers wide open and easy to hit with throws.
Despite that, he’s a high-end quarterback prospect. Adding him to the mix in Denver could be a legitimate franchise-changing move.
Other Players Considered: Penei Sewell, Micah Parsons, Kyle Pitts