49ers to Attend Sleeper Pick’s Pro Day With ‘Open Mind’

49ers

Getty Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers.

In the three-quarterback race to become the San Francisco 49ers‘ third pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, North Dakota State University’s Trey Lance is currently pulling up the rear. But all that could change over the next 24 hours.

Lance is hosting his second pro day on Monday, April 19, just 10 days before draft night. And while 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan and General Manager John Lynch were not on hand for the 20-year-old quarterback’s first public workout, they will be in attendance for tryout number two.

Jeremy Fowler, football reporter for ESPN, appeared on SportsCenter Sunday to speak to San Francisco’s state of mind when it comes to the young signal caller out of North Dakota State.

“The 49ers are taking this with an open mind, a broad approach,” Fowler said. “They’re still looking at all those quarterbacks. So, with no Combine this year, lack of game film, these pro days take on a heightened importance. So, they want to see Lance in play-action, moving around, mobility, tailoring things toward what maybe the 49ers would do on offense.”


Lance’s Pro Day Could Change Everything for the 49ers

trey lance

GettyNorth Dakota State Quarterback Trey Lance could run, pass and pitch his way right into the No. 3 NFL Draft selection of the San Francisco 49ers with a solid second pro day, set for April 19, 2021.

Not long after Lance announced plans to hold a second pro day, the 49ers team of decision makers announced their intention to attend.

The news signaled that San Francisco’s reported interest in Crimson Tide Quarterback Mac Jones may not be as rock solid as NFL insiders Adam Schefter and Mel Kiper Jr. have recently asserted.

Much the same as Ohio State QB Justin Fields did at his second showcase, Lance will incorporate throws and drills specific to 49ers practices into the workout.


Lance Will Face Stiff Competition in Quest to Become 49ers Pick

Justin Fields

GettyOhio State QB Justin Fields reportedly had a strong second pro day, which the San Francisco 49ers leadership team attended.

According to Las Vegas oddsmakers, Fields (-140) is the betting favorite to be the 49ers first overall selection with the third pick in the draft. Lance (+450) is solidly in third behind Jones (+110), according to BetMGM.

While the odds are as much of a reflection of public perception surrounding the potential draft choices as they are a prediction of who the 49ers will ultimately choose, the betting lines indicated that Lance will have to put on quite the show to play his way into serious contention as the No. 3 pick. On Sunday, Fowler agreed.

“There’s been a lot made about Fields and his decision-making, how he reads the field from the pocket,” Fowler said. “But I’ve talked to sources who said both the 49ers and other teams in the top 10 have been pleased with his productive Zoom meetings with those teams, discussing how he makes decisions from the pocket, how he prepares for games, all those things. They’ve been happy with that.”

“So, if the 49ers don’t go Fields, it’s not because they don’t like him,” Fowler continued. “It’s just because maybe they love somebody else.”