Pro day notes: Bears watch North Dakota State QB Trey Lance, OT Dillon Radunz

Trey Lance played a grand total of one football game during the 2020 season. Because of that, Lance’s Pro Day at North Dakota State on Friday was highly anticipated. Bison coach Matt Entz said 30 of 32 teams would be present, including Bears general manager Ryan Pace.

The 20-year-old Lance is almost certain to be a first-round draft pick. The Bears would likely need to trade up from their spot at No. 20 overall if they want any shot at Lance. Still, the Bears need a quarterback and – fans need no reminder – Pace has traded up for a quarterback before.

Pace was likely in Fargo to see North Dakota State offensive tackle Dillon Radunz, as well. Radunz projects as a potential second-round pick next month. But the star of the show, Lance, showed some impressive ability with his arm, while declining to run what had been a much-anticipated 40-yard dash.

Lance is a dual-threat quarterback who rushed for 1,100 yards during the 2019 season, his lone season starting in college. He has been training with quarterback coach Quincy Avery, who also works with Jalen Hurts and Deshaun Watson, among others.

The biggest question about Lance is his lack of experience. He started only 16 college football games at the FCS level, though he never lost and didn’t throw an interception in 2019. FCS football moved the 2020 season to the spring. Lance and Radunz both opted out to prepare for the draft. North Dakota State added one fall game, a win over Central Arkansas, for Lance to showcase his abilities.

[PODCAST: North Dakota State beat writer Jeff Kolpack joins the show to discuss Lance’s draft prospects]

“The biggest thing for me is just controlling what I can control and not worrying about what I can,” Lance said. “I played every game I possibly could in college. It would’ve been great to win another national championship in January and then have to make the decision then, but it didn’t work out that way.”

NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah has compared Lance to another former FCS quarterback: Steve McNair, who came out of Alcorn State. That being said, Jeremiah thinks Lance’s lack of experience means the ideal situation would be sitting behind a veteran quarterback for a while.

“Trey is going to need some time,” Jeremiah said in a conference call earlier this week. “You’d have to be patient with him.”

Lance said Friday that wherever he ends up, he’s going to compete. He has been discussed as a potential top-10 pick. Teams don’t draft quarterbacks that high to sit them on the bench for long.

“Whatever organization I go to, they know what they’re going to get with me and I’m going to be absolutely as ready as I possibly can Week 1 to go,” Lance said. “I’m a competitor first and foremost, so I’m going to compete for that spot regardless of where I’m at or what the situation is. I feel confident that regardless of where I go, I’ll be ready to go.”

Entz, the Bison head coach, said Lance is comfortable in the pocket. The Bison put a lot on their quarterbacks. They must read the defense and make adjustments on their own, unlike some programs where the quarterback is often looking toward his team’s sideline for adjustments.

A top tackle: Like Lance, Radunz is sitting out the 2020 spring FCS season. Having a talented teammate like Lance in the building Friday drew more eyes on Radunz.

Radunz has been training with former San Francisco 49ers tackle Joe Staley. The six-time Pro Bowl tackle played his entire career (2007-19) with San Francisco.

“Learning from him, the biggest part was he’s a 13-year vet, he knows the ins and outs of the game,” Radunz said. “Just picking his brain was what I learned from him the most, the mental side of it.”

For Radunz (6-6, 304), Friday was all about “getting my name out there.”

Radunz was a tackle with North Dakota State, and hopes to play tackle in the NFL, but has the versatility to play multiple positions. He even mentioned taking some snaps at center.

If the Bears don’t take a tackle in the first round, Radunz is a possible target in the second round.