Malik Willis, Trey Lance, QBs That NFL Teams Must Pursue in Trades Right Now

The most important position for any NFL team to evaluate, prepare and develop during training camp and the regular season is quarterback. Franchises that have good ones, like the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals, are set to be perennial contenders. Franchises that don't regularly struggle to compete.

Teams that don't have a high-end starter or quarterback of the future are almost always looking to add them. While a team can't have too much quality quarterback depth, it can only carry 53 players on the active roster.

On cutdown day—August 29 this year—several intriguing developmental prospects with no clear paths to playing time, like Tennessee Titans third-string quarterback Malik Willis, could hit the market. Others, like Trey Lance of the San Francisco 49ers, may be trade candidates.

Teams without firm long-term quarterback plans could scramble to add the likes of Willis, Lance and others at the end of August. That's why teams interested in adding a young quarterback should get ahead of the pack and make their trade offers now.

Below, you'll find a closer look at Willis, Lance and some other young signal-callers that should be on teams' radar as training camps open.

Ben DiNucci, Denver Broncos

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CENTENNIAL, CO - MAY 13: Denver Broncos QB Ben DiNucci (6) during Denver Broncos rookie mini camp at Dove Valley May 13, 2023. (Photo by Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

In recent years, NFL teams have tended to carry only two quarterbacks on the active roster and a third on the practice squad. That could change with the league's reinstituted rule that allows a third quarterback not to count against the active game-day roster so long as said quarterback is on the 53-player roster and not a game-day practice-squad elevation.

So, there's a chance that Ben DiNucci will stick with the Denver Broncos behind Russell Wilson and Jarrett Stidham. However, teams looking for a long-term developmental player should consider trading for him now.

The Dallas Cowboys originally selected DiNucci with a seventh-round pick in 2020. He went 21-of-40 for 180 yards, zero touchdowns, zero interceptions and a passer rating of 64.6 during his lone start as a rookie.

However, DiNucci showed a lot more this past spring with the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL. He led the league with 2,671 passing yards, ranked second with 20 passing touchdowns and helped Seattle reach the postseason.

Pro starting experience is valuable, and few back-end roster quarterbacks like DiNucci ever get it, but spring leagues like the XFL and USFL could alter that. The league used to have a developmental league in NFL Europe in which quarterbacks like Jake Delhomme and Hall of Famer Kurt Warner honed their skills before breaking out in the NFL.

DiNucci has a long way to go to mirror Warner's career, but he's worth a flier to a team that believes it can further develop one of spring football's biggest stars. A team without an experienced young quarterback like the Kansas City Chiefs or Las Vegas Raiders nshould consider taking a flier on him.

Joshua Dobbs, Cleveland Browns

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BEREA, OHIO - JUNE 06: Joshua Dobbs #15 of the Cleveland Browns throws a pass during the Cleveland Browns mandatory veteran minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on June 6, 2023 in Berea, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)

Joshua Dobbs got a little starting experience with the Tennessee Titans last season, though his path to getting there was a winding one.

A 2017 fourth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dobbs spent his first two seasons with Pittsburgh. He was then traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars, made his way back to Pittsburgh, landed with the Cleveland Browns and had a short stint on the Detroit Lions practice squad before going to Tennessee.

Though Dobbs went 0-2 as the Titans starter late last season, he flashed some potential, throwing for 411 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions while rushing for another 44 yards. His QBR (50.8) was higher than those of Tennessee's other 2022 starters, Willis and Ryan Tannehill.

Dobbs is currently back on the Browns, and it's telling that two different teams have valued him enough to bring him back. While Cleveland may value having Dobbs as its primary backup to Deshaun Watson, it also used a fifth-round pick on UCLA signal-caller Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

That's a high selection for a quarterback whom a team views as a third-stringer, so Thompson-Robinson would appear to be the Browns' long-term QB2. That could make Dobbs expendable, and any team without a proven backup should be interested in adding him.

At only 28 years old, Dobbs is still young enough to emerge as a permanent solution to a team's backup problems, and perhaps a future spot starter or bridge quarterback. But if no team makes a move on Dobbs, Cleveland will probably keep him over the less-proven Kellen Mond.

A return to the Titans, who seem to be souring on Willis and might move on from Ryan Tannehill in 2024, would make a ton of sense for Dobbs. The Detroit Lions, whose top healthy backup is Nate Sudfeld, would also be logical.

Trey Lance, San Francisco 49ers

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SANTA CLARA, CA - MAY 31: San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance (5) throws a pass during a drill in the team's OTA practice on May 31, 2023, at the SAP Performance Facility in Santa Clara, CA. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The San Francisco 49ers aren't likely to release Trey Lance outright after trading up to select him with the No. 3 overall pick in 2021. If a team is interested, it will have to trade for him.

The Niners might be open to that. While they did trade up for Lance, they saw more from 2022 seventh-round pick Brock Purdy this past season (107.3 QB rating in the regular season, 7-1 record including playoffs) than they have in two years with Lance.

Lance was named the Week 1 starter in 2022, but he appeared in only two games before suffering a season-ending foot injury. While Purdy looked like a quality starter last season, the 49ers don't know exactly what they have in Lance.

However, that doesn't mean they don't value him.

"I think, personally, in my opinion, is that they like him now more than they ever have since they've had him with the 49ers, but they just don't know how he would perform," Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area told KNBR's Murph & Mac (h/t David Bonilla of 49ers Webzone).

Lance was a highly regarded draft prospect who had an incredible collegiate season in 2019 (28 TDs, zero INTs, 1,100 rushing yards). Teams seeking an heir to an aging or oft-injured starter, like the Los Angeles Rams and Las Vegas Raiders, should make an offer for Lance immediately.

If Purdy's recovery lingers through the preseason and Lance uses his opportunity to shine, the 49ers might not be willing to let him go.

Davis Mills, Houston Texans

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 08: Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills (10) looks to pass during the game between the Houston Texans and the Indianapolis Colts on January 8, 2023, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Unlike Trey Lance, Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills was not a highly coveted prospect. He suffered multiple injuries at Stanford, appeared in only 14 college games and wasn't selected until the third round of the 2021 draft.

Since entering the league, however, Mills has flashed starting potential, especially during his rookie campaign. Despite being surrounded by one of the league's most underwhelming rosters, he posted a respectable quarterback rating of 88.8.

Mac Jones (92.5) was the only 2021 rookie to post a better passer rating than Mills. That list includes players like No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence and second overall pick Zach Wilson.

Mills' rating dropped to 78.8 in his second season, although he was again leading arguably the worst roster in the NFL. With a better roster, he might already have entrenched himself as a full-time starter.

Two categories of teams should be interested in Mills: those looking for a developmental quarterback for the future and those who could use a 24-year-old backup with 28 games and 26 starts worth of experience. Mills might not get the chance to be either this season in Houston, which added Case Keenum in free agency before drafting C.J. Stroud with the No. 2 overall pick.

If Mills slots in as the Texans' third-stringer, a team with a questionable backup situation or succession plan, like the Green Bay Packers or Arizona Cardinals—who will probably lean on backup Colt McCoy early in the season—should be working the phones.

Malik Willis, Tennessee Titans

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NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - DECEMBER 24: Malik Willis #7 of the Tennessee Titans warms up before a game against the Houston Texans at Nissan Stadium on December 24, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Texans defeated the Titans 19-14. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill will be a free agent in 2024. When the Tennessee Titans used a third-round pick on Malik Willis in 2022, it appeared as though he could be the heir apparent to Tannehill.

However, Willis struggled as a rookie, going 1-2 as the starter and posting a dismal 42.8 passer rating. He was eventually benched for Dobbs, and this April, Tennessee snagged quarterback Will Levis in Round 2.

According to Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official website, Willis' roster spot "isn't guaranteed."

While the Liberty product disappointed in his brief NFL stretch, he has dual-threat upside and came into the league with a fair bit of hype. In his final college season, he threw for 2,857 yards, rushed for 878 yards and had 40 combined rushing and receiving touchdowns.

"Willis is more of a toolsy player than a viable starting NFL quarterback at this point in time," Nate Tice wrote for the B/R Scouting Department. "He will be a big project for whichever NFL team selects him—albeit a fun project."

Willis was the second-ranked quarterback on the B/R Scouting Department's big board, and that was based on his ceiling, not his floor. If the Titans aren't willing to see what Willis can become, another team should be.

The Washington Commanders, who don't yet know what they have in Sam Howell, could target Willis as a second developmental option. Willis would also be a great project to nurture behind Philadelphia Eagles starter Jalen Hurts since his skill set would mesh with what Philadelphia likes to do offensively.

Zach Wilson, New York Jets

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MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - JANUARY 08: Zach Wilson #2 of the New York Jets warms up prior to a game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on January 08, 2023 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

The New York Jets took Zach Wilson with the second pick in the 2021 draft. Things have gone so poorly in his first two seasons that New York jumped at the chance to trade for 39-year-old Aaron Rodgers this offseason.

There's a chance that Rodgers can return his to Pro Bowl form in New York, but the Jets probably wouldn't have made that trade if they believed Wilson could become a dependable starter in the near future. Wilson (70.9 career QB rating) seems to be further away from being a finished product than several of the quarterbacks featured here.

While Wilson's stock may be at an all-time low, some coach still might believe he can "fix" the BYU product.

Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers might want a crack at Wilson if they're unhappy with Trey Lance's progress. Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos might want to try their hands at developing him if Russell Wilson's poor 2022 campaign is indicative of an actual decline and not just an aberration.

Wilson showcased enough physical upside in college to become a highly rated prospect—he was the seventh-ranked player on the B/R board—only two years ago.

If a team is interested in Wilson, it should try to land him before something unexpected happens. The Jets might want to keep him if he starts looking good in camp or in the preseason or Rodgers gets injured.