Vikings could have had QB Trey Lance, but Dallas Cowboys wound up with him

Friday, the Dallas Cowboys traded a fourth-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers to acquire quarterback Trey Lance.

This means that the Vikings have violated a vital NFL rule: Never get outmaneuvered by the most overrated franchise in American sports.

Saturday, the Vikings concluded their preseason schedule with an 18-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals at U.S. Bank Stadium, while playing their fifth-round draft pick, quarterback Jaren Hall, the entire game.

In 2021, the 49ers traded three first-round picks and a third-round pick to move up to take Lance, a North Dakota State standout from Marshall, Minn., with the third overall pick. That was a mistake, and Lance damaged his stock this summer by failing to beat out journeyman Sam Darnold for the backup job in San Francisco.

So why should the Vikings have traded for a player who was overrated in the draft and has spent his time in the NFL either looking raw or recuperating from injuries?

Because of the price, his age, his upside and the Vikings' future.

NFL executives love to value draft picks, but consider what a fourth-round pick is really worth. The Vikings spent a first-round pick on safety Lewis Cine, a second-round pick on cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. and a later second-round pick on guard Ed Ingram, and none of them has proved to be a quality NFL starter.

Why wouldn't a talented quarterback with at least a fighting chance to develop into a starter at the most important position in sports be worth a third- or fourth-round pick?

Saturday, Hall completed 16 of 27 passes for 178 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Said Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell, "I would definitely like to keep him around."

The Vikings have invested a draft pick and time in Hall, but is there any reason to believe he will be a better quarterback to develop than Lance?

If the 49ers hadn't moved up to take Lance in the 2021 draft, someone else would have used a first-round pick on him.

Hall is 25 and is considered a developmental project. Lance is younger (23) and more talented.

Vikings starter Kirk Cousins is in the last year of his contract. For all of the consternation caused by the uncertainty of the Vikings' future at the position, they will most likely be re-signing Cousins after this season because they don't have much of an alternative.

Lance could be an alternative. Or the kind of backup who destroys game plans when he replaces a pocket passer because of injury.

The Vikings' current backup, Nick Mullens, is not an NFL starter. Hall is a long shot to become one. Lance could be either a dynamic backup or the latest in the new wave of NFL quarterbacks who combine passing and running ability.

Lance played one full season of college football. During that one season, he impressed 49ers coach and quarterback guru Kyle Shanahan enough for the 49ers to trade a fortune for him.

He has started four NFL games. He shouldn't be underestimated now any more than Cousins should have been underestimated early in his NFL career.

Cousins was a three-year starter in the Big Ten at Michigan State, then had three years of learning and playing as a backup in the NFL before he won a starting job with Washington. He didn't become a true franchise quarterback until his seventh season in the NFL, when the Vikings signed him.

You can say that Lance hasn't proven himself. You can't say that he's been given a fair chance to prove himself.

Imagine this future, if the Vikings had traded for Lance: He spends a full season with two quarterback gurus, in O'Connell and offensive coordinator Wes Phillips, while learning under Cousins, an intelligent and studious quarterback.

A year from now, Lance could be a top backup … or a budding starter.

This has nothing to do with Lance playing at NDSU or hailing from Marshall. This is about value. Lance is a quite young, supremely talented quarterback who was available at a ridiculously low price. He would have been worth a shot.