San Francisco 49ers Draft Trey Lance With No. 3 Overall Pick
4/29/2021 10:00:00 PM | Football
CLEVELAND - The San Francisco 49ers selected North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 29.
Lance is the third straight quarterback drafted out of North Dakota State and second highest draft pick in NDSU history. He follows 2016 No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz (Eagles) and 2019 fifth-round pick Easton Stick (Chargers).
Wentz and Lance are the highest-drafted non-FBS quarterbacks, surpassing Steve McNair (3rd in 1995), Phil Simms (7th in 1979), Joe Flacco (18th in 2008) and Ken O'Brien (24th in 1983).
Lance went 17-0 as the starting quarterback at North Dakota State including a 16-0 record and FCS national championship in 2019. He was the first player to win the Walter Payton Award and Jerry Rice Award in the same season as the FCS offensive player and freshman of the year.
Linebacker Jabril Cox, who graduated from NDSU and played his final season of eligibility at LSU, is also projected as a high-round draft pick and would give NDSU three draft picks in the same class for the second time in program history (1974).
The NFL Draft is televised live on NFL Network, ESPN and ABC. Coverage of the second and third rounds begins at 6 p.m. CT on Friday, April 30. The final four rounds begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 1.
Lance is the third straight quarterback drafted out of North Dakota State and second highest draft pick in NDSU history. He follows 2016 No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz (Eagles) and 2019 fifth-round pick Easton Stick (Chargers).
Wentz and Lance are the highest-drafted non-FBS quarterbacks, surpassing Steve McNair (3rd in 1995), Phil Simms (7th in 1979), Joe Flacco (18th in 2008) and Ken O'Brien (24th in 1983).
Lance went 17-0 as the starting quarterback at North Dakota State including a 16-0 record and FCS national championship in 2019. He was the first player to win the Walter Payton Award and Jerry Rice Award in the same season as the FCS offensive player and freshman of the year.
To the @49ers at No. 3: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State@treylance09 | @NDSUfootball
— NFL (@NFL) April 30, 2021
📺: 2021 #NFLDraft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC pic.twitter.com/IYPfKrlprT
When the dream becomes reality. #NFLDraft | #49ersDraft pic.twitter.com/CtFrblXe68
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) April 30, 2021
North Dakota State left tackle Dillon Radunz is projected by NFL.com to be drafted in the second round Friday, April 30, which will give NDSU multiple draft picks for the ninth time in school history and the first time since 2016 when Wentz and fifth-round left tackle Joe Haeg (Colts) were both drafted.In the 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 round, with the 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙙 pick of the @NFLDraft
— NDSU Football (@NDSUfootball) April 30, 2021
- the @49ers have selected quarterback @treylance09 #NFLDraft #ProBison pic.twitter.com/NEIwSdYxWo
Linebacker Jabril Cox, who graduated from NDSU and played his final season of eligibility at LSU, is also projected as a high-round draft pick and would give NDSU three draft picks in the same class for the second time in program history (1974).
The NFL Draft is televised live on NFL Network, ESPN and ABC. Coverage of the second and third rounds begins at 6 p.m. CT on Friday, April 30. The final four rounds begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 1.
NDSU Football Mountain West Press Conference - February 9, 2026
Monday, February 09
The Bison Football Show - December 7, 2025
Monday, December 08
NDSU Football Postgame Press Conference - December 6, 2025 (FCS Playoffs 2nd Round)
Saturday, December 06
NDSU Football Press Conference - December 2, 2025
Tuesday, December 02
