The San Francisco 49ers look like a team that will be making at least one trade during the 2022 NFL Draft. All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel surprised a lot of people last week when he informed the team that he would like to be traded.
He isn’t the only starter from last season’s team that could be on the move, as the team is still looking for a landing spot for veteran quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo will be moved at some point as the team is ready to hand the starting job over to Trey Lance.
Lance was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of North Dakota State. The 49ers made a huge trade up the draft board to select him, believing that he is the franchise quarterback that will help get them over the hump that Garoppolo was unable to do, which is winning a Super Bowl.
Coming from the FCS level will present some challenges, but Lance is oozing with potential. He is a true dual-threat, as he is more dangerous at this stage of his career as a runner than he is as a passer.
Improving as a passer is what will help take Lance to that next level. Star tight end George Kittle recently spoke about his young teammate, as he believes Lance has a very high ceiling, he just needs the reps to reach it.
“Trey has an insane ceiling,” Kittle said, via 49ersWebzone.com. “He just needs some reps here and there; throw the ball a little bit more. You can’t really get better without playing games. . . . Just playing, going against competition, getting hit and getting back up, dealing with adversity, how you deal with it. Because [some] guys that come in the league that win their entire life, and they get hit in the face a couple of times, it’s different. It’s just a learning process.”
Lance looked a little shaky at times when thrust into action last season, but the skills that he possesses certainly flashed. Working on the timing and placement of throws is something that will come with more repetition, which he will receive plenty of this offseason as the unquestioned No. 1 quarterback on the depth chart.
The 49ers have a strong roster that is filled with talented players on both sides of the ball. The team is hoping that Lance brings another dimension to the offense and they are once again contenders in the NFC.
