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.
