2021 NFL Draft: Will the Trey Lance showcase answer any questions?

Trey Lance has his moment scheduled before the 2021 NFL Draft

Trey Lance looks set to play at least one football game in 2020.

Lance appeared likely to enter the 2021 NFL Draft on the back of just one season as the starting quarterback for North Dakota State, with the Bison having previously announced the program would not play football in 2020.

However, North Dakota State has signed a contract to play Central Arkansas on October 3 in what will effectively serve as a showcase game for Lance, giving him the chance to impress NFL scouts who may still have reservations about his ability to excel in the pros.

Lance led the Bison to an FCS National Championship in 2019, throwing 28 touchdowns and zero interceptions in a stunning campaign that elevated firmly into the conversation as a top-three quarterback along with Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields.

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While Clemson phenom Lawrence and Ohio State’s Fields each have a large amount of tape of them succeeding against premier collegiate competition, there are likely to be concerns about Lance’s ability to make the jump from the FCS to the NFL given the comparatively poor competition he has faced in his career.

Lance has displayed remarkable composure and tremendous upside as a dual-threat quarterback in his time at North Dakota State, but he has also had the deck stacked firmly in his favor playing for the dominant power at the FCS level.

Though scouts will appreciate the opportunity to get an in-person look at Lance, a one-off meeting with a team from the Southland Conference is unlikely to alleviate concerns about Lance’s lack of experience against elite competition.

His performance would have to be particularly impressive to put doubts about his downfield accuracy to bed, with Lance showing inconsistency in that area of the game.

Lance playing one final time for North Dakota State may aid the evaluation process, however, of the top three quarterbacks in the 2021 class, he was the one who needed a full season the most.

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He may have done enough already to secure a first-round selection next year but it will take more than a single-game showcase versus inferior opposition to convince front offices he is worthy of being in the top-five discussion.

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