James Jones Compares Trey Lance to Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes

Jones' comments are fascinating for a few reasons.

Finally, a national pundit with something nice to say about Trey Lance.

NFL Network analyst and former Green Bay Packers wide receiver James Jones recently compared Lance to Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes.

"I believe we're looking at a bonafide superstar like Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers," Jones said. "We had a small sample size of Aaron Rodgers, but all you heard out of the locker room and the people around Aaron was, 'Just wait, you wait and see.' That was the same thing that was around Patrick Mahomes. Small sample size, but everybody was like, 'Just wait, this kid is going to be special.' And that's the same thing that's coming out of the 49ers locker room with Trey Lance. Everybody is saying he has superstar written all over him. There's nothing he can't do. He can make plays with his legs, really strong arm, Kyle Shanahan is going to put him in really good situations. I think he's going to have a hell of a year. I think he's going to be in that category, years down the line, talking about him like we talked about Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers."

Jones' comments are fascinating for a few reasons.

1. The 49ers modeled Lance's development after Rodgers and Mahomes, each of whom sat for at least one season.

2. Jones played with Rodgers from 2007 to 2013, so he has first-hand knowledge of Rodgers' ascension and is qualified to compare it Lance.

3. Jones bases his opinion not on anonymous sources or a superior ability to use the eye test, but simply personal experience and the statements of Lance's teammates, statements most national pundits have ignored this offseason.

It's also fascinating how reluctant 49ers players were to talk about Lance last year, presumably out of respect to Jimmy Garoppolo, who was still in the building. Now, Jimmy Garoppolo has been absent all offseason, Lance has asserted himself as the starter and the leader, and players have begun to gush about how he's "special," an adjective they never used to describe Garoppolo.

I agree with Jones that Lance can be a superstar. As Jones said, there's not Lance can't do well, except perhaps throw a tight spiral consistently, which really isn't a big deal.

I merely hope the 49ers protect Lance better than the Colts protected Andrew Luck.