Why Trey Lance is a Good Bet to be the Offensive Rookie of the Year
Locally, lots die hard fans still seem to think Jimmy Garoppolo will be the 49ers starting quarterback in 2021, and Lance will sit on the bench. They assume Lance won't be ready to play.
But nationally, lots of casual fans seem to think Lance will be the 49ers starting quarterback, as well as the Offensive Rookie of the Year. Lance is the most popular bet to win that award, according to BetMGM.
In this case, I believe the casual fans have it right.
The local die hards say Lance started only 17 games in at a Division 1-AA school, so the speed of the NFL game will be too much for him at first.
But Carson Wentz went to the same Division 1-AA school -- North Dakota State -- and he started 16 games as a rookie. The speed of the NFL wasn't too much for him. He clearly was ready to start as a rookie, because he's an elite athlete.
Lance is an even better athlete than Wentz. And Lance started only six fewer games than Wentz in college, and posted better numbers across the board. Which means Lance is the superior prospect.
Why won't he be ready to start?
Another highly talented quarterback who lacked collegiate starting experience is Cam Newton. He started only one year at Auburn, won the National Championship and was the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Lance also started only one year at North Dakota State and won a National Championship. And like Newton, Lance has accuracy issues.
But Newton still completed 60 percent of his passes his first season in the NFL, and he won the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.
Why can't Lance do the same?
I say he can. He's on a much better team than Newton was his rookie year, and he's just as gifted as Newton was, if not more gifted.
Just wait. You'll see.
