According to many sources around the NFL, the Washington Football Team loves North Dakota State QB Trey Lance. Washington sent OC Scott Turner and GM Martin Mayhew to his pro day, and it’s rumored that Lance is expected to hold another pro day. If Washington sends people out to his second pro day, then the rumors that they do truly like Lance are deemed true. But that comes with a big caveat: who are the 49ers taking at 3?
By process of elimination, let’s eliminate the first three picks as trade partners. The Jags are taking Trevor Lawrence without question, the Jets just traded Sam Darnold to the Panthers, and the 49ers just gave up three first-round picks to move up to 3rd overall pick to take a QB. The main question I who they will be taking? They’ve been linked to Alabama QB Mac Jones as of recently, along with Trey Lance and Ohio State QB Justin Fields.
If the 49ers do indeed take Lance, expect Washington to be content with whoever they get at the 19th pick, possibly even move down in the draft and get more draft ammunition and try to get their QB of the future in the 2022 Draft. But if San Francisco goes Mac Jones or Justin Fields, expect all gears to be in motion for a trade.
Now let’s eliminate the Miami Dolphins at the 6th overall pick. They just traded up from the 12th pick to the 6th pick with the Eagles, giving up their own first-round pick in 2022, so they aren’t moving back down. The Atlanta Falcons want to move down and get more picks, but I don’t think Washington will be willing to like Marty Hurney said “mortgage the future” for a QB. Just look at what the 49ers gave the Dolphins to move from 12 to 3 (the 12th pick this year, a first and third in 2022, and a first in 2023). Washington would have to do something similar, and it would not make any sense to do that. Former New England Patriots executive Michael Lombardi believes Ron Rivera and the Washington Football Team loves Lance so much, they’re willing to trade up in the draft for him, and possibly “unload all of their picks” to get him.
Now, look at the 7th and 8th pick with the Detroit Lions and the Carolina Panthers. Both teams don’t need QBs, as they both traded for QBs this offseason, so they want to build their roster by accumulating more picks in the future. What would it cost for Washington to move up from 19 to the 7th or 8th pick? Maybe it will cost them only one first-round pick next year plus another mid-round pick, plus obviously the 19th pick. This trade makes more sense for Washington, as they get their QB for the future and they still have enough draft picks to have them build a quality team around Lance.
The team they might have to compete with is the Denver Broncos in a trade scenario. They are reportedly over former 2019 second-round pick Drew Lock and might be aggressive in moving up. They will have the upper hand in negotiations, as their pick is 9th overall, so they have the better picks this year’s draft, plus next year would just be add ons to the deal. There will be a bidding war between Denver and Washington if the Broncos do truly have interest in Lance, and if that becomes the case, Washington will probably have no choice but to bow down to Denver and look for another QB in the future.
