With the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft sporting quite the talented quarterback class, former North Dakota State Bison quarterback Trey Lance has become somewhat of an afterthought in NFL news despite the fact that the collegiate standout could very well come off the board inside the top 10 come late April.

Thanks to the presence of Clemson Tigers' Trevor Lawrence, BYU Cougars' Zach Wilson, Ohio State Buckeyes' Justin Fields, and Alabama Crimson Tide's Mac Jones, Lance could potentially become the fifth signal caller off the board while still becoming a very early first round pick.

Even with this quintet serving as the cream of the crop in terms of this year's NFL Draft class, some continue to argue that Lance is the third-best of the group. If just one NFL franchise thinks the same, Lance may fall to a quarterback-needy team inside the top five, let alone the top 10. Nonetheless, there are three teams in particular that should be keeping an eye out for Lance, such as the San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots.

The three teams are no doubt the three best fits for the soon-to-be rookie signal-caller out of the famed North Dakota State.

San Francisco 49ers

Even with former New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo still under center in the Bay Area, the San Francisco 49ers still elected to trade up into the No. 3 spot in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.  Despite the 49ers slated to enter the 2021 campaign only a few seasons removed from winning the NFC en route to an appearance in Super Bowl LIV, a change at the quarterback position seems to be in the cards sooner rather than later–though somewhere in between can become a happy medium for the NFC West franchise.

As former Bison quarterback Trey Lance will more than likely need a bit of time to come into his own at the NFL level, the 49ers can get the best of both worlds by having Jimmy G serve as the quarterback of the present with Lance as the team's QB of the future. The presence of Garoppolo can allow head coach Kyle Shanahan and company to bring Lance up to speed at his own pace and without pressure.

On the other hand, this is a true win-win situation for San Francisco because if Lance can start right away, perhaps Garoppolo can quickly become a perfect mid-season trade piece for the 49ers. With Garoppolo seemingly on the trading block already, the addition of Lance would immediately fill the void that would be left in the aftermath of an eventual trade.

Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons are another NFC organization that needs to make some difficult choices under center in the not-so-distant future. With veteran quarterback and former NFL MVP Matt Ryan not getting any younger, it appears as though the Falcons must find his eventual replacement while the team has the chance at No. 4 overall in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

However, it does not appear as though Ryan needs to hang up his cleats just yet with the majority of the quarterbacks slated to come off the board early on seemingly ready to break into the NFL right off the bat. For that reason, a pairing of the Falcons and Lance could become a match made in heaven.

With Matty Ice still having a bit left in his legs heading into 2021, such a notion would give the aforementioned Lance not only time to develop into a legitimate NFL signal-caller but also the opportunity to learn from one of the best in the league. Ryan has spent his entire professional playing career in Atlanta, while it would be tough for the Falcons to find a better mentor for Lance.

This could become the perfect hand-off at the most important position on the field for a franchise looking to turn things around in a hurry, especially when playing in the always dangerous NFC South division.

It should not be a surprise at all to see the Falcons take a chance on Lance at No. 4 overall later this month.

New England Patriots

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There's always the Patriots. Somehow, someway, there's just always the Patriots in the shadows with legendary Bill Belichick seemingly observing from afar. Even in the absence of future Pro Football Hall of Famer and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, the Patriots aren't too far off from returning to the AFC playoff picture as the 2020 campaign was no doubt a strange season for every NFL franchise.

However, under the usual standards that surround the heralded AFC franchise, 2020-21 was simply unacceptable.

As is tradition, the world cannot count the Patriots out just yet as Belichick has the capability to make some serious noise during the early portion of the 2021 NFL Draft. With the Patriots currently slated to pick at No. 15 overall in the first round, the drought of New England not picking a quarterback in the opening round for more than two decades can very well come to an end. It will be interesting to see if Belichick and the Patriots ultimately move up in the first round in order to do so, though, as it feels like the majority of the truly elite talent at this position will be long gone by then.

It remains to be seen as to which signal caller Belichick likes the best, but with a veteran quarterback in Cam Newton still in New England, Trey Lance could be the perfect fit for the AFC East franchise. Because Lance is the least developed of the bunch in terms of the quarterbacks that can come off the board almost immediately, there is arguably no better place for a player like this to learn than in New England.

Not only that, but if Newton encounters another rough season like 2020, perhaps having Lance waiting in the wings can either boost the former Carolina Panthers QB back into form or pave the way for a rookie to take the reins.