2021 NFL Draft: One legend that each first round draft pick reminds us of

SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Clemson Tigers celebrates with the trophy after his teams 44-16 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Levi's Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

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Trey Lance (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

NFL Draft 2021: San Francisco 49ers pick Trey Lance, compares to Aaron Rodgers

The sample size is almost laughably small, but it was also ridiculously great. Quarterback Trey Lance played out of his mind in 2019. Numbers such as 28 touchdowns and zero interceptions simply don’t come across your desk very often.

He may have shut things down after playing only one game in 2020 but he showed everything that he needed to the year prior. The most eye-catching stat is obviously the zero interceptions along with his 28 touchdowns. The one player in the league who’s become a master of lighting up the scoreboard while avoiding disaster in the form of an interception is Aaron Rodgers.

When we take a closer look, we can see the similarities. Both guys have enough speed to avoid incoming linebackers and defensive ends but not enough to smoke the rest of the field for 50 yards down the sidelines. Lance’s refusal to throw interceptions is also reminiscent of Rodgers. On five separate occasions, Rodgers led the league in interception percentage. Currently, he sits number two all-time in touchdown to interception ratio.

Admittedly, it’s hard to know what to make of Lance considering his small body of work. If he’s a one-hit wonder, this comparison will look foolish. If, however, his 2019 season was no fluke, then the San Francisco 49ers may have Super Bowl titles in their future.

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