4 pros and cons to the Panthers drafting Trey Lance in 2021
By Dean Jones
Small school = Big problems?
Trey Lance put up some exceptional numbers in 2019 for North Dakota State. But the standard of competition wasn’t that of the SEC or anything close to the top-end of the college system.
This might make scouts a little skeptical about what they see on film, no matter how impressive Lance was during his last prolonged period as a starter before COVID-19 tightened its grip.
Lance completed 66.9 percent of his passes for 2,786 yards, 28 touchdowns, and zero interceptions. This brought an exceptional passer rating of 180.6 and also included 9.7 yards-per-attempt and 11.7 air yards for every throw.
It’s not just in the passing game where Lance gets it done. His supreme mobility out of the pocket enables him to gain significant yardage on the ground, which was further highlighted with 1,100 rushing yards and 14 scores from 169 carries in 2019.
Lance is making the biggest of leaps compared to the level of competition he’s experienced so far. The NFL is a ruthless place where only the elite survives and the Carolina Panthers would need to be absolutely convinced in the signal-caller for them to pull the trigger at No. 8 overall.
There wouldn’t be a great deal of pressure for Lance to assume the starting job immediately in Carolina given Teddy Bridgewater’s deal. But the organization would want to see a return on their investment at the earliest possible opportunity if the veteran continues to struggle.