Sourdough Sam
Well-known member
- Mar 20, 2019
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Todd McShay, ESPN: "Did the San Francisco 49ers get it right at No. 3? Yes, they did. I give a lot of credit to Niners coach Kyle Shanahan. For more than a month, we've been hearing how Jones was the team's preference, but San Francisco did its due diligence with all of the QBs, including Jones, Fields and North Dakota State's Trey Lance, and saw the process through.
"I'm fascinated with the idea of Shanahan coaching up a quarterback with dual-threat traits. (Lance rushed for 1,100 yards in 2019.) Shanahan came up short in two Super Bowls with pocket passers, first as a coordinator with Matt Ryan in Atlanta and second as a head coach with Jimmy Garoppolo in San Francisco. And the second loss came at the hands of one the NFL's best -- if not the best -- second-reaction QBs in Patrick Mahomes. I really think Shanahan decided he wanted a QB who can extend plays, work off schedule and tuck it and run when needed.
"And how about Lance? After playing just one game in 2020 and then spending the entire pre-draft process hearing about his inexperience and lack of competition in the FCS, he had essentially a five-, six-week job interview. That included a pair of pro day workouts and plenty of interviews. And he aced it. He made Shanahan and the Niners decide he was their guy and that he was worth dealing away multiple future first-rounders to have the opportunity to bring aboard. Lance made himself some serious money in the process, considering he easily could have fallen out of the top 10.
"As a fit, Lance has a big arm and reads the field really well. He excels selling play-action, a staple in Shanahan's offensive scheme. He'll need to work on his accuracy a little, but he can sit behind Garoppolo -- unless the veteran is dealt -- for a while and develop before eventually taking over under center."
Bucky Brooks, NFL.com: "The small-school standout is an intriguing quarterback prospect due to his rare traits as a big, athletic playmaker with exceptional arm talent. Despite a small sample size of performance and production, Lance has all of the traits offensive coaches covet in a high-IQ quarterback with a diverse toolbox."
Skip Bayless, FS1: Trey Lance: Best combination of tangibles and intangibles in this draft. Film junkie. Highest football IG of these QBs. Chip on shoulder. Driven to be great. Great character. 6-4, 224. Quick release. Quick/fast. Can make you miss or run over you. Perfect for Kyle Shanahan.
Chris Simms, NBC Sports: "Wow. I am in shock. Trey Lance has some unbelievable talent. He has a big time arm. And it's a high level athlete. And I think (the 49ers) and Shanahan just couldn't turn down the possibilities Trey Lance can bring to his awesome offense."