With the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, the San Francisco 49ers invested in Trey Lance. His natural comparison by stats would be Lamar Jackson, but Lance can’t match his top-end speed or arm strength. He plays with his eyes up when breaking the pocket while featuring an explosive gear when turning a run up field. My comp is closer to Deshaun Watson in overall look.
Lance needs more experience reading defenses and will be tested as a passer at the next level. His challenge will come in defeating coverage in the deep passing game as his reads will invite runs before a wide receiver breaks free over the long field.
Lance comes to the NFL with one starting season on his resume in college. In his sophomore year in 2019, he passed for 2,786 yards and 28 touchdowns while not throwing an interception. In addition, Lance was a beast on the ground (169/1,100/14), setting up an intriguing NFL career. In 2020, North Dakota State canceled the football season after one game due to COVID, leading to him entering the draft.
His style of play fits well in the 49ers’ offense. They want to control the line of scrimmage with a dominant run game while offering an exciting combination of receivers at wide receiver and tight end.
In six games of action in his rookie season, he gained 771 combined yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions.
Fantasy outlook: Lance offers an explosive ceiling with the starting job. He has a cheat QB1 feel while drawing the 13th ranking in the National Fantasy Football Championship in the early draft season. With 17 starts, Lance should gain 4,500 combined yards with an excellent chance at 30 combined scores.
