Washington lands Lance in this mock, but in a much different slot originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Over the past couple of weeks -- whether it be in mock drafts or from other reports -- the Washington Football Team has been linked to North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft.
On Thursday, NFL analyst and former Washington general manager Charley Casserly released his second mock, and it was headlined by the Burgundy and Gold trading up to select the 20-year-old passer.
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While Washington -- who currently holds the No. 19 pick in the NFL Draft -- sliding up in the draft order to select Lance isn't that surprising of a prediction, it's where Casserly has Ron Rivera's club moving to in order to draft the passer that differs from a lot of other mocks.
Casserly has Washington trading with the Minnesota Vikings, who currently hold the No. 14 pick, to snag their hopeful future franchise quarterback.
"Washington trades up to get its quarterback of the future," Casserly wrote. "With Ryan Fitzpatrick already in place, Lance could be used in Year 1 in packages that take advantage of his running ability."
The longtime analyst didn't detail the trade package Washington offered to move up five spots, so it's difficult to judge whether it would be a realistic move or not. But, moving up to No. 14 is a move few others have predicted.
In Casserly's mock, Lance is the fourth quarterback that comes off the board and the first taken since Alabama's Mac Jones goes to San Francisco No. 3. Clemson's Trevor Lawrence and BYU's Zach Wilson go first and second in the exercise, which is what almost every draft expert is predicting at this point.
Currently slotted to pick 19th overall, Washington almost certainly will have to trade up in order to select Lance, should they want to. The 20-year-old is widely believed to be a top-10 pick and could even go as early as No. 3 to the San Francisco 49ers.
In most mocks that have Washington trading up to select Lance, it's usually the team making a move with the Falcons. Atlanta holds the No. 4 pick and is reportedly open to moving down. But, nothing is off the table for the NFC South club, including drafting a QB.
However, if the draft ultimately goes as Casserly predicts, Washington might not even have to trade up with Atlanta at No. 4, Minnesota at No. 14 or any other team picking in the mid-teens to wind up with Lance.
Of all the clubs picking No. 13-18, only the New England Patriots seem to be considering a quarterback in the first round. If both Lance and Ohio State's Justin Fields are still on the board after the Philadelphia Eagles pick at No. 12, there's a solid chance at least one of those two quarterbacks are available when the 19th pick rolls around.
With the first three picks in the draft expected to be quarterbacks, teams in need of help at the position that sit outside the top five might become desperate and offer a fortune to move up. But, if Washington stays patient and can snag Lance at No. 14 like Casserly predicts (or even later), that would be a home run selection for the revamped Washington front office.
