Will Trey Lance Take the Largest Leap of all the Second-Year Quarterbacks?
Trey Lance is slated to be the starting quarterback of the 49ers in 2022.
With that being set in motion, offseason debates regarding the six second-year quarterbacks have transpired. The likes of Cris Collinsworth, Austin Gayle of Pro Football Focus, and many other outlets are engaging on this. I decided why not join in on the fun?
Plenty of cases and rankings have been made for each second-year quarterback in regards to who has the best supporting cast and the likeliest to make a leap. Collinsworth, for example, has Zach Wilson at the forefront of a leap. He has them over Lance, Mac Jones, Davis Mills, Justin Fields, and Trevor Lawrence. After the offseason the Jets have had, a lot of confidence is being felt on that side.
When it comes to Lance, his situation might be the best, yet he doesn't have anywhere of the similar experience as his peers. His 2022 season will be the most intriguing and the trickiest.
So let's get down to it: will Lance take the largest leap of all the second-year quarterbacks?
By default, I think you have to say it is Lance.
Two games is all he has under his belt from his rookie season. The rest of the second-year quarterbacks had plenty of games to start in to show where they stack up in terms of what works for them and what their flaws are. Two games wasn't enough to indicate one way or another with Lance, so the fact that he will get a full season gives him the best position to look like he has taken the largest leap due to his minimal playing time.
Aside from taking the "cop out" answer just now, how could you not take Lance as the player who will take the largest leap of all the second-year quarterbacks? It is not disputable to me that he is in the BEST situation of all those players. The skill players that are around him do not sniff the rest. He has TWO All Pro caliber skill players at his disposal along with an All Pro left tackle. You cannot say that at all about the other second-year quarterbacks.
Lance also has Kyle Shanahan who trumps the rest of the head coaches and offensive play-callers that the others have. This is why I advocated so strongly last year for Lance to start. He was by far in the most optimal position to start as a rookie even with how raw he looked. The development he could've undergone versus someone like Fields, who was surrounded by incompetence and lack of talent, could've benefitted him greatly.
That same argument still applies for his sophomore season and why I believe he is going to take the largest leap, and not just because he has the most to show with his minimal playing experience. Lance has a chance to lift the offense into new heights with both his mobility and his arm to take shots downfield. Those two skill-sets alone should, in theory, improve the 49ers better than with Jimmy Garoppolo.
Of course, Lance still needs to actually go out there and execute. He could very well struggle for a portion, if not the majority, of the season. I just believe that will be reduced given what is around him. He's starting for a team that just made the NFC championship game, so he is in great hands to make a leap and not go through too many hiccups.
It could go sideways for him, but Lance has the best opportunity to take the largest leap of all the second-year quarterbacks.
