Quote:
Originally Posted by rickroll
gl op
any reason for this conviction?
Tl;dr - faster decision maker than fields and it’s not even close.
Just as fast as fields at least at top speed.
Way faster than mac Jones
Doesn’t have a DUI
Niners need a mobile QB or they can’t beat Arizona, Seattle, Buffalo, ravens etc. with any regularity.
Most knocks on Lance from sportscenter and NFL TV are lazy reporting and/or Guys who don’t have enough time to go in depth on one player.
So many reasons. The more I keep digging the more reasons I find.
Not his fault he’s at an FCS school: went to small high school - big conferences wanted him as a linebacker or tight end (I think other positions too) he said no thank you I’m a quarterback.
NDSU was pumped to get him as a QB.
He destroyed the FCS as a redshirt freshman because it was way too easy for him. 2019 he played 16 games went undefeated, 28 passing TDs, 14 rushing TDs, ZERO INTERCEPTIONS, 16 wins, zero losses, First freshman to ever win the Walter Payton award, first FCS player to ever leave early for the NFL draft (and a top pick at that).
To me that says it was just too easy and he should have been recruited as a QB somewhere in the power five. After that season I think any college coach from a power five conference would admit that yes that was an oversight.
2020 he played one game due to covid (team cut season super short) and everyone is saying well he had a bad game. He threw a pick and took 3 sacks. Well he went 15/30 2 TDs and 1 INT (first and only INT of college career), rushed for TWO MORE TDs, rushed for 143 yards and won the game.
By the way I didn’t know this but in college sacks count against your rushing stats and in the pros they don’t. During that crazy 2019 season he still had 1100 rushing yards.
NDSU runs a pro style offense and I think they tailor it to the skill set of the QB. Lance can run so if you watch full games they call a lot of QB draw, QB lead, designed QB runs. But when they’re not doing that, they’re running a lot of play action and bootleg from UNDER CENTER. I don’t have the stats but he’s under center way more than all these other QBs that are constantly in the gun. It’s also been said that he has had the most responsibility of the QBs coming out this year because he has to call his own protections, audibles, plays in the huddle, and he’s motioning dudes all over the place a la Kyle shannahan. His pass distribution is very heavy tight end usage and fullback usage a la Kyle shannahan but he can also throw deep to WRs something jimmy wasn’t really capable of.
If I’m the niners and I’m building around guys I’ve resigned like kittle and Juszczyk I’m drooling thinking about all the stuff I don’t have to coach him to do because he’s already been doing it in college.
He has good awareness in the pocket and doesn’t just run when he feels pressure. He’s got a nice pocket shuffle and calm demeanor under pressure with dudes in his face. If he does get flushed out of the pocket he can make it happen off platform a la Russell Wilson (something that’s been killing the niners on third down for years). Also like Russell Wilson his decision making is really really fast. When he decides to do something he pulls the trigger. Fields has a bit of a hitch when he throws he seems like he’s always double checking his work for a split second which is good for taking tests but I don’t think it’s desirable for an NFL QB.
He’s not a choir boy but not a convict. Dude has a mean streak if you watch him punish DBs lowering the shoulder, It looks like he enjoys inflicting damage on his opponents and demoralizing them. You can see it in his body language after a big truck stick. He has this insanely huge tattoo across his back that says God’s Child which probably doesn’t mean much to this forum but in an NFL locker room I think it shows that you don’t fear pain, you don’t fear death and you don’t fear your opponent. John Lynch has said before when building a team they can’t all be choir boys. Not a convict - has kept his nose extremely clean and doesn’t have a DUI.
Biggest arm in the draft.
Can throw on the run
He hasn’t and won’t run a 40 because they got him on GPS and it was already as fast as some of the fastest times run in the NFL.
He’s only 20 years old, still moldable and shapeable to whatever you want him to do. Still growing into his body and he’s already 6’3 7/8” and 224lbs. He looks like a man child. Like a giant baby huey just ****ing people up out there. Yea that won’t translate 100% to the nfl when he has to square up with Aaron Donald but he will be able to withstand a lot of punishment and also dish a lot out to DBs.
NDSU produced Carson wentz. Say what you want but he’s extremely decent and better than anything that came out of OSU in recent memory(sans Joe burrow). Probably better than Tua also which would I believe make him better than anything that came out of Alabama. This means that NDSU has a track record of recruiting and developing QBs and if lance flies that will be two in very recent memory. Even without knowing his NFL draft you can see how NDSU would be favorable for the growth of a QB that wants to be a better QB and not just a top college player that fizzles out at the next level.
Probably a lot more this is just off the top of my head I can’t remember everything.
Things I consider to be legitimate downsides:
Doesn’t slide ever and Justin fields knows how to slide and get out of bounds.
Not the most accurate passer in the draft. He’s not a surgeon but how bad could he be with zero interceptions. Usually when he misses, he misses where the defender can’t get it. He has had some bad misses that should have been picks but haven’t they all?
Wears a lightweight brace on his leg due to injury
Had a run late in the fourth quarter 4th down up by 7 against James Madison in the FCS final on a 4th and 2 the coach went for it designed QB sneak and trey came up just short. If James Madison’s offense was better, NDSU could have lost that game but the defense pulled them through. I’m big on clutch moments when it matters do you deliver and that was his biggest moment with a chance to put the game away with a first down and he didn’t deliver. Haven’t gotten to see him in many clutch moments because like I said FCS was too easy for him but he is good on third down which is a must in the NFL and usually translates to being good on 4th down and being clutch at the end of games.
Oh there’s even more stuff about how they are working him out now with a guy who used to be under shannahan and how the timing of when they made the trade up to two was right after treys pro day but before fields and Jones I think. The timeline early of the trade gave it away. Can’t remember specifics but it sounded legit to me.