Mike Lombardi created headlines last week when he suggested the Washington Football Team “loved” North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance.
Many mock drafts followed, with Washington paying a premium price to move up for Lance.
Many mock drafts have Washington making a move for Lance because most assume the first three picks of the 2021 NFL draft will be Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Mac Jones.
Not Trevor Sikkema of The Draft Network. In his latest mock draft, he has the 49ers going with Ohio State quarterback Mac Jones at No. 3 overall. Sikkema’s logic is why San Francisco would pay a premium price for a passer resembling some of the quarterbacks head coach Kyle Shanahan has already coached.
Shanahan moved up because he wants to pick his own guy. And, that guy isn’t Jones.
Instead, he has Washington moving up for a quarterback — Mac Jones.
In Sikkema’s mock draft, he has Lance going No. 6 overall to the Denver Broncos. Denver moved up three spots for Lance, while he has Washington moving up five spots for Jones.
With New England rumored to have interest in this year’s quarterback class, Washington moves one spot ahead of the Patriots to snag Jones.
The trade cost Washington the No. 19 and No. 74 overall picks in the 2021 draft. That’s certainly much less prohibitive than moving inside the top 10.
While no one truly knows Washington’s intentions ahead of the 2021 NFL draft, it is clearly in the quarterback market and will continue to be linked to numerous passers until draft night.