Tag: trey lance 49ers

Why Trey Lance might start for the 49ers sooner than you think

49ers first-round quarterback Trey Lance might be starting in Kyle Shanahan’s system sooner than some believe.

Last Thursday night, the San Francisco 49ers shocked many in the football world when they drafted North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance with the third-overall selection in the 2021 NFL draft. For many, this was a surprise, because all the tea leaves seemed to be pointing towards Alabama passer Mac Jones as the selection. Instead, the 49ers made the man from Fargo their next quarterback.

But when you start to dig in deeper to the prospect, you might see that Lance is an ideal fit for what Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers’ need at the quarterback position.

There are a few reasons why this pairing would be ideal. We can divide this into three elements: Pre-snap, post-snap passing, and post-snap athleticism.

Let’s start with what happens before the play even begins.

49ers draft Trey Lance: Instant analysis of the No. 3 pick

The 49ers have their new franchise QB in the person of North Dakota State’s Trey Lance.

With the third pick in the 2021 NFL draft, the San Francisco 49ers select Trey Lance, quarterback, North Dakota State.

Analysis: Lance’s upside is extremely enticing. Wherever he ends up Lance could be a star, especially if he’s allowed to sit behind a veteran and learn the intricacies of the NFL game. Lance’s payoff could be huge if the development is handled the right way, because he has every possible physical and mental trait to succeed at the NFL level at the game’s most important position.

Grade: A. Lance’s college quarterbacks coach Randy Hedberg told me recently that Lance might benefit from sitting a year in the NFL, which he would be able to do in San Francisco. But he also ran a lot of stuff with the Bison that Kyle Shanahan is familiar with (Y-throwback FTW), and Lance gives Shanahan every bit of the ability to run his advanced offense over time, and the kind of mobility and second-reaction ability that is required in today’s NFL.