Chicago Bears trade-up targets in the 2021 NFL Draft

1. Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

The Chicago Bears made the underwhelming decision in free agency to bring in veteran quarterback, Andy Dalton, to be their presumed starter for the 2021 season. While he provides a little more stability at the position than Mitchell Trubisky did, Dalton’s time as a legitimate starter in the NFL is over.

However, he is a really nice option as a bridge quarterback for a young signal-caller that may need a season to sit and learn behind a seasoned veteran.

If the team did want to make an aggressive move for that young quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft, I think they should be targeting former MVFC Offensive Player of the Year, Trey Lance. With Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, and Zach Wilson all assumed to be locked into the top three picks, Lance becomes the top quarterback prospect left on the board that could realistically be a trade-up target for the Bears.

Lance has just about every trait you could want in a quarterback in today’s NFL. He’s got size, arm strength, mobility, touch, poise, and there are very few weaknesses when it comes it his on-field play. The only thing holding Lance back from being discussed with the top guys is experience. Lance only has 17 starts under his belt after his 2020 season was limited to just one exhibition game due to the pandemic. However, he did go 17-0 in those starts.

While I understand the concern over his readiness to lead an NFL offense right out of the gates, I think that’s exactly what makes him the perfect target for the Chicago Bears. He wouldn’t be expected to step right into that role and they could really take their time with his development behind Dalton. If Lance slips down into that 7-10 range, Chicago should be aggressive in their pursuit of him.