2021 NFL Draft: Will the Carolina Panthers Select Trey Lance?

New York Jets parted with the 2018 3rd overall pick Sam Darnold this summer. The former USC quarterback, who spent three years in The Big Apple, failed to make an impression under the tutelage of head coach Adam Gase. The Jets gave up Darnold in exchange for a sixth-rounder in the 2021 draft later this month, and a second and fourth-rounder in 2022.

The Panthers already have experienced NFL quarterback Teddy Bridgewater on their roster. However, the latest reports state that the former Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints star is pushing for a move away since the Darnold trade.

This indicates that coach Matt Rhule might just go all out and draft a young-and-upcoming quarterback when the 2021 NFL Draft begins on April 29 in Ohio. Will they move for NDSU’s Trey Lance if he is still available at #8?

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Trey Lance could be Carolina’s surprise pick in the 2021 NFL Draft

North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance had a great season in 2019. He threw for 2,786 yards with 28 passing TDs against no interceptions. He further rushed for 1,100 yards and registered 14 rushing TDs. Popular analyst Rich Eisen was the latest to comment on a potential Carolina Panthers move for Lance in the 2021 NFL Draft.

He said, “They want everybody from now all the way to Thursday to say, ‘Hey, maybe Carolina could actually take a quarterback?’ If Trey Lance falls, you could get through all that to get your quarterback of the future, and then Donald and him are competing and then we go to work and all of that.”

“Oh my gosh, could they actually be doing all of that if Trey Lance falls to them? They could actually take him, which is another reason why I think that’s a smart move,” Eisen said on The Rich Eisen Show.

Trey Lance is definitely getting the attention he deserves, especially since his breakout season in 2019. Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen also reached out to the young starlet ahead of the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft.

The 20-year-old opted out of the 2020 college football season due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. But he is reportedly a target for Kyle Shanahan-led San Francisco 49ers, who own the 3rd overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Only time will tell if the Niners draft Trey or decide to go with someone else, like Justin Fields or Mac Jones. But if he’s available at #8, expect the Panthers to grab him while they can.

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