Denver Broncos NFL Draft: First-round pick should be one of these 6 guys

1. Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

The San Francisco 49ers figure to choose between one of Trey Lance or Mac Jones with the third overall pick.

It sounds like the 49ers traded up with the intention of selecting Mac Jones, but with the open mind to consider someone like Lance.

Ultimately, general manager John Lynch will have to appease Kyle Shanahan with this decision, or he will risk losing Shanahan in the near future.

Shanahan’s offense seems tailor-made for either Lance or Justin Fields, but many also believe that Mac Jones could run it as well as guys like Matt Ryan, Kirk Cousins, or Jimmy Garoppolo, perhaps even better.

Jones has not been considered a unanimous first-round prospect throughout this process like his peers in the 2021 draft class. Lance, however, had such a tremendous season in 2019 at North Dakota State that he’s been firmly in the top-five mix for over a year at this point.

The argument for the Denver Broncos drafting Trey Lance is a strong one. Drafting Lance would mean another year to evaluate Drew Lock, potentially, which puts the Broncos in a great position in 2022 either way.

Lance has a big arm, he’s thought to be the “smartest” quarterback in the draft by a number of reporters and analysts with team sources, and he’s a playmaker with his legs.

The overall skillset is incredibly impressive here. The 49ers should be having a hard time choosing between quarterbacks. Ultimately, if they leave Lance on the board, he’s an option for the Denver Broncos, no question about it.