PFF Predicts Broncos Acquire No. 4 Pick from Falcons, Draft QB Trey Lance

Pro Football Focus does not envision the Denver Broncos sitting on their collective hands in the upcoming NFL Draft — nor the team running it back with quarterback Drew Lock for the 2021 season.

The forecasts are directly linked by the sports analytics giant, which projects Denver trading up from No. 9 overall to the Atlanta Falcons' pick at No. 4 to then select North Dakota State dual-threat QB Trey Lance.

The first thing that people mention regarding Lance is his physical ability. That’s for good reason. He has a cannon and would immediately become one of the better rushing quarterbacks in the NFL. The mental side of his game should be getting more love, though.

The Broncos have a legitimate, playoff-caliber roster assuming they get even average quarterback play. Drew Lock (62.1 PFF grade since 2019) hasn’t shown enough through his first two years in the NFL to have much confidence in that assumption entering 2021. The addition of Lance gives Denver one of the most talented quarterbacks in a loaded 2021 class and a better opportunity to find their guy at the game’s most important position.

It would be a risk to sit back and wait with teams such as the Panthers and Patriots standing out as prime candidates to move up themselves.

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Obviously, the Broncos making this deal is contingent on Lance being available with the fourth choice. And that's contingent on the San Francisco 49ers taking another signal-caller — the presumed favorite is Alabama's Mac Jones — at No. 3.

But if new general manager George Paton is given solid intel, and he's a billion percent sold on Lance, whose Pro Day he personally attended, there's a real chance he pulls the trigger on a transaction that would reshape the long-term scope of the franchise, perhaps forever altering its history.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday that the Falcons are "open to moving" down from the No. 4 slot and have received trade feelers from "multiple teams." It's safe to assume the Broncos are among them — or soon will be.

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