With The First Pick
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49ers: Ranking the quarterback options with third overall pick

By Nicholas McGee

Jan 11, 2021; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields (1) against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2021 CFP National Championship Game. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 11, 2021; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields (1) against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2021 CFP National Championship Game. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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49ers target Trey Lance. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Trey Lance, North Dakota State

The wild card of the bunch may be the best fit for the 49ers if they are planning on keeping Garoppolo for the short term, as Lance is arguably the quarterback in the consensus top five who will face the biggest adjustment when he gets to the pros.

Lance only played one full season as a starter with North Dakota State, a spectacular interception-free campaign in which he led the Bison to an FCS National Championship and was on the field for just one game in 2020, a relatively underwhelming performance against Central Arkansas.

Shanahan could coach around Lance’s inexperience were he to start immediately as a rookie but, in a scenario where he is the pick, the 49ers coach may want time to mold him so to ensure he can hit the ground running and instantly harness the most out of his remarkable skill set when he takes the keys to the offense.

Still, Lance has the tools to make a devastating impact regardless of where he lands and when his first start comes. Perhaps the most athletically gifted quarterback in the class, he would have no problem running Shanahan’s bootlegs and would add another dimension to the playbook with his remarkable abilities as a runner, with Lance’s size and physicality a huge asset when he gets into the open field.

Though Lance could serve to do a better job of speeding up his internal clock, he can climb the pocket to evade the rush while he has also demonstrated that he can escape with his legs and reset his feet after doing so, though he often doesn’t need to given his proficiency for off-platform throws.

Lance’s deep accuracy has been more inconsistent than that of Jones, but when he nails downfield throws the results are spectacular, the reality being that such throws come far easier for a player whose remarkable arm strength enables him to drive the ball with great velocity and also deliver with effortless touch.

He is far from the finished article and that is what is so exciting. Lance can do everything Jones can but has strings to his bow that are simply not in the Crimson Tide star’s arsenal. The Shanahan offense is the ideal scheme to make the most of his athletic upside and he could not ask for a better coach to help him fine-tune his game.

The Niners wouldn’t necessarily need to have Lance wait behind Garoppolo for him to succeed, yet he stands as the best fit if that is what they want to do with their rookie quarterback.