Chris Simms: Trey Lance Is a 'Little Too Raw'

The Lions could be in the market for a quarterback at No. 7 overall, even with former L.A. Rams starting quarterback Jared Goff already on the roster.

Clemson's Trevor Lawrence is a lock to go to the Jacksonville Jaguars with the No. 1 overall pick.

However, other solid options at the position will be available at the top of the draft, including Ohio State's Justin Fields, BYU's Zach Wilson and North Dakota State's Trey Lance.

Most draft analysts believe that Fields and Wilson will be off the board once the No. 7 pick rolls around. However, the same can't be said about Lance.

He's viewed by a variety of pundits and fans alike as the fourth best quarterback in this year's draft class.

The 6-foot-3, 221-pound signal-caller was under center for North Dakota State's only game of the fall in 2020 -- the Bison only played one contest due to the COVID-19 pandemic -- and proceeded to produce four touchdowns in the school's 38th straight victory. He completed 15-of-30 passes for 149 yards and two scores, while rushing 15 times for 143 yards and two TDs.

He also threw his first ever interception, after completing 307 consecutive attempts without a pick.

He finished his collegiate career with a variety of accolades. He went 17-0 as a starting quarterback, won an NCAA Division I FCS national championship and was the recipient of both the 2019 STATS FCS Walter Payton Award (the top offensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision) and the 2019 STATS FCS Jerry Rice Award (the top freshman player in the FCS).

Despite Lance's myriad of accomplishments, there is at least one NFL analyst who doesn't view the North Dakota State product in as positive of a fashion: NBC Sports' Chris Simms.

Simms, a former NFL quarterback himself, has Lance ranked as the sixth-best passer in this year's draft class. The QBs ahead of Lance on Simms' list are Wilson, who's ranked No. 1, followed by Lawrence, Alabama's Mac Jones, Texas A&M's Kellen Mond and Fields.

As Simms explained on "Pro Football Talk" on NBCSN via SI All 49ers, "He (Lance) does have elite first-round traits. The No. 1 thing is I'd be scared with just (a) lack of play. That's what would scare me. He has a big time arm, and he can fly. In a lot of ways, I like his technique -- with how he throws the ball -- more than I like Justin Fields. But, the offense was a one-read offense (at North Dakota State). And it's (a) lack of throws and lack of playing that would scare me."

Detroit general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell will be attending Lance's Pro Day at North Dakota State Friday. It will be televised on NFL Network at noon EST.

On Lance, Simms added, "I love the talent. There's a lot of elite traits there. I do think he's a first-round talent. But, I think he's a guy that if you do draft him, you're going to have to play a certain way early in his career to kind of let that come along. Definitely. I think he's a first-round talent again. But, (he's) just a little too raw, and I think there's going to be some growing pains, in getting (him) to learn how to be a dropback quarterback and do those things."

If you believe Simms' assessment of the former Bison quarterback is even remotely accurate, it should be all the more reason for why the Lions should strongly consider passing on a signal-caller with the No. 7 overall selection.

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