Eagles: Is Jalen Hurts the future? Not so fast as 2021 NFL Draft nears

Now, let’s look at North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance. Now I know, I know ‘Eagles can’t take another NDSU quarterback,”  but can we please move past the helmet the player is wearing and look at them as just players!

People can say all they want about playing in the FCS, but Trey Lance did everything you could ask for in 2019 to show he can dominate at the FCS level. At six-foot-three 221 pounds, Lance was a bulldozer with the football in the open field. It’s rare to see a quarterback with legit contact balance as a runner, and Lance has that with the build to take hits if he needs to.

Ben highlights some awesome plays from Lance and shows off his ability as a passer. The first clip shows his ability to be comfortable in the pocket and delivers a strike under pressure. Knowing he’s going to get nailed, Lance still throws with anticipation and has the arm strength to get it there. Being able to take hits but still throwing accurately is rare in the NFL. Lance shows that consistently.

In the second clip, Lance drops a beautiful ball in the bucket, on time and in rhythm. Lance might have the best arm in the NFL, showing he can throw 65+ yards on tape. He brings deep ball accuracy with strength and has the Russell Wilson-esque moon ball downfield. Sky’s the limit for Lance’s potential and has all the ability to become a top-five quarterback in the NFL.

Many people are worried about his floor as a prospect with only one year of starting at NDSU, but I can’t entirely agree. We see already in Jalen Hurts how someone with mobility can be a consistent backup, at least in today’s NFL. Lance is a better runner and playmaker than Hurts and if he can’t improve as a passer still has a high floor in today’s game.

When you stack these two against Jalen, it’s hard not to see the intrigue. Lance and Fields are better in almost every trait you look for in a young quarterback: Arm strength/talent, mobility, playmaking ability outside the pocket, accuracy down field/outside the numbers.

Quarterback is the most critical position on the field, and unless you have that franchise guy, you should always be looking to upgrade. Philadelphia is in the perfect spot to move for one of the top quarterbacks in the 2021 NFL Draft and shouldn’t waste this opportunity.