49ers Select North Dakota State Quarterback Trey Lance With the Third Pick
There it is.
The San Francisco 49ers selected North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance with the third pick.
After weeks and weeks of speculation, the 49ers have their franchise quarterback. Surprisingly enough, the No. 3 pick did not end up being Mac Jones. I am sure 49ers fans are extremely relieved and excited that all of it was just fluff going around. By passing on Jones, the 49ers are showing that they believe in the gifted physical traits of Lance over a stiff like Jones.
Kyle Shanahan has proven his maturity with the pick. He has shown that he isn’t deadlocked into one type of quarterback anymore and has acknowledged he needs a quarterback to bail him out from time-to-time with the off-script plays. Not to mention that Shanahan now has a new dynamic in the offense that he can explore with the athleticism of Lance.
The offense of the 49ers will no longer be limited. Deep shots will be called more often and executed more consistently. If Shanahan was dangerous with a healthy Jimmy Garoppolo, just imagine the offense with the talent that Lance possesses. It surely is an exciting thought when envisioning Lance with Shanahan. However, brace yourself for a bunch of hiccups in 2021. Lance likely won’t hit the ground running, at least not initially. 2021 is all about letting him go through his growing pains.
So while 2021 might not have the same Super Bowl aspirations, the 49ers are still set up superbly in the long-term. Trading up from No. 12 to No. 3 was never about 2021, but the future of the 49ers. Now they have, hopefully, secured their quarterback that can keep the flow of the offense maintained and even elevate it.
Best part of all with the third pick being official is that all of the hypotheticals are finally put to an end and the page can officially be flipped towards the future.
