Getty Trey Lance #5 of the San Francisco 49ers drops back to pass against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium on August 14, 2021 in Santa Clara, California.
When the San Francisco 49ers drafted Trey Lance third overall in the 2021 NFL draft, they didn’t just make a pick.
They traded all of the draft ammo they had stocked. By sending two first-round picks in 2021 and the team’s 2022 first-rounder to the Miami Dolphins for the No. 3 pick, San Francisco invested a ton of value into Lance.
Of course, that was with the understanding that he would sit behind quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and develop. Now that a year has passed and Garoppolo has said “goodbye,” the 49ers appear to be moving on with Lance.
For former Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Orlando Scandrick, they have no choice but to commit to the young QB. Despite names like Tom Brady being brought up as potential arrivals, Scandrick thinks San Francisco has invested too much to not move on with Lance.
“They have no choice,” Scandrick told NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco. “They sold the farm to get him.”
Scandrick also added what he expects out of Lance after a year in development.
“I expect him to be well-coached,” Scandrick said. “I expect him to ride their run game and bring him along and let him make plays. You’ll see some more outside the pocket than you see with Jimmy G. I think Jimmy G was like a statue to me. He didn’t have a lot of movement.”
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49ers Jobs Tied to Lance
One of the more interesting takes that Scandrick had on the Lance situation is how his success is what determines head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch’s futures.
Taking a franchise QB in the draft generally is what GMs are judged on, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility that a crash-and-burn with Lance could lead to a new regime in San Francisco.
“I think if Trey Lance does not pan out to be what they think he’s supposed to be, I don’t think John Lynch and [Kyle] Shanahan have their jobs for more than two or three more years,” Scandrick said. “I think he gets three years. He gets three years. If he doesn’t pan out to how he’s supposed to be, I don’t think those guys have their jobs. If he turns into what he’s supposed to be, I think that we see the 49ers being a contender every year, year in and year out.”
It’s safe to say a lot hinges on Lance, but the 49ers have set themselves up to be flexible while also being a team that doesn’t solely rely on quarterback and passing game success to win. The defensive performances during the 2019 and 2021 seasons have proven that twice over.
Lance in 2021
The 49ers didn’t get to see all that much of Lance in regular season play his rookie year, but the numbers were encouraging.
Lance threw for 603 passing yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions in about 2.5 games of play, per PFR. He only completed 57.7% of passes, but what he lacked in accuracy he makes up for in athletic ability.
On 38 rushes, he amassed 168 rushing yards and a score. The 49ers will need to adjust their gameplan to best fit Lance’s strengths, and at just 21-years-old, San Francisco needs to work around him as he continues to develops.