Scout Report – Trey Lance (QB)

• Position: Quarterback – Strong Arm Pocket Passer
• College: North Dakota State (FCS)
• Position Rank:

Age: 20 | Height: 6’4 | Weight: 225 lbs
NFL Size Comparison: Tom Brady

QB at a Glance: Solid player capable of sending a ball to the moon, but has glaring issues that hinder his otherwise great body of work

PASSINg	MEntal	Physical
	Eye Discipline – B	Mobility – B
Arm Strength – A	Pocket Presence – B	Pocket Maneuverability – B
Range in Pocket – A	Vision – B	Durability – A
Range on the Run – B	Decision making – A	Size – B
Range under pressure – A	Consistency – ?	Top Speed – B
Short Accuracy – A	Poise under Pressure – C+	Sleight of Hand – B
Medium Accuracy – B	Experience – C	Sack Evasion – C+
Deep Accuracy – C+	Blitz Radar – D	Toughness – B
Accuracy on the Run – C	Patience – B	Ballcarrier Ability – C+
Ball Placement – D	Identifying Coverage – B	Strength (upper body) – B
Ball Trajectory – D	Pre-snap Reads – C	Power (lower body) – D
Touch on Passes – A	Recklessness w/ Ball – B
Throwing Mechanics – B	Recklessness w/ Body – B
Footwork – B	Defensive awareness – A
Selling the PA/RPO – B	Progressions – A
Zip on throws – A	Improvising – B
Sideline Accuracy – B	Anticipation – C+
PASSING GRADE – 2.9 B	MENTAL GRADE – 2.9 B	PHYSICAL GRADE – 2.8 B-

RESUME:

• Walter Payton Award (2019)
• Jerry Rice Award (2019)
• 2x FCS champion (2018, 2019)
• First-team All-MVFC (2019)
• MVFC Offensive Player of the Year (2019)
• STATS FCS First-team All-American (2019)
• 2020 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game Most Outstanding Player
• 2020 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game Most Outstanding Player
• 1-year starter for NDSU because season was canceled for COVID
• 28:0 TD:INT ratio in 2018
• 42 Total TDs in 2018, including 28 passing and 14 rushing TDs
• 292 AP yards in only game of the 2020 season
• 17-0 as starting QB

REPORT:

PASSING

• Excellent touch on his passes make even the hottest darts easily catchable
• Footwork exactly what you want for a QB, strong base
• Range on the run easily 30+ yardage
• Good throwing mechanics with a quick and high release point
• Throws one of the best fastballs in his class to squeeze in tight windows
• Deep ball is promising, though some float away from him time to time
• Quick hands and quick release combine to make him great a faking out defenses with PA/RPO
• Strong arms can get the ball out even when wrapped up
• Rusted up 2020 game still saw him lob the ball 60+ yards effortlessly and with little wind up
• Acceptable short and medium range throws, though nothing particularly special
• Can still be an accurate thrower to the sidelines

• Tends to put throws into the dirt when having to throw on the run
• Terrible placement and trajectory limit his otherwise stellar passing ability

MENTAL

• Proves to be a patient player
• Good pocket presence to know when the pocket is cracking
• Great decision making, there is a reason he went so long without throwing an INT
• Not reckless with the ball or his body
• Capable of directing traffic when asked to improvise
• 50-50 when getting spooked in the pocket whether he can stay composed or bails
• Keeps his eyes downfield to see what his targets are doing
• Capable of scanning the entire field on his reads
• Excellent progressions and awareness allow him to use the entire field of play
• Sometimes throws his receivers open, but does not do so on a regular occurrence
• Seems to always know where to defense is positioning itself
• Solid understanding of where to attack coverages in-game

• Lacks the experience of others in his class as a 1-year starter
• Absolutely loses the blitz after the snap, taking easy sacks in the pocket
• Not very vocal or active of pre-snap calls or reads

PHYSICAL

• Can be mobile if given the opportunity
• Shifty QB who can maneuver the pocket without having to break it
• No injury concerns to speak of
• Good size at 6’4 225 lbs
• Average-to-decent top speed with a projected 4.6 forty time
• Good sleight of hand
• Can be elusive and evade sacks, though not always consistently
• Tough player who does not run away from congestion
• Above average ballcarrier skills for a QB
• Based on throw power, can assume he is very strong
• Not not display any real sense of lower body power

Overview:

Whether by coincidence or design, Lance can be seen as a Wentz 2.0. All of his skills are where you would want them to be for a draft prospect minus a few glaring flaws in his game. Biggest selling point is his arm, which going into his single game of 2020 as a rusty player still managed to effortlessly launch the ball a good 60 yards of air travel. It makes you excited what the range for a prime Trey Lance would be. The catch is that he is a basic passer who does not recognize pressure. Do not expect expert level Manning-like throws coming from Lance, at least not yet. I give you a warning, Lance could very well be overhyped by sports media, NDSU alumni, and coaching staff. He is good, but try to remember what kind of player he is before diving headfirst.

Projections

• Draft Placement: 2nd Round
• Plays Like: Carson Wentz
• Status: Short-Term Project
• Ceiling: NFL Starter
• Floor: 3 & Out