San Francisco OC Has A Very Specific Reason To Love Trey Lance Already

Trey Lance is coming into the league as more of a QB prospect than a sure-fire starter for the San Francisco 49ers. The No. 3 overall pick out of NDSU has been lauded for his incredible athleticism, accurate deep ball throws, and acute understanding of a playbook. His intelligence as a quarterback on the field helped Lance pull off a 28-0 TD:INT ratio in 2019.

While some see Trey Lance's floor to be fairly low due to the sparse amount of college film on him — he completed only one full season, in 2019 — fans and members of the organization can't help but look forward to a possibly higher ceiling due to the QB's natural attributes and throwing mechanics that are still developing.

New to the Niners' quarterbacking room, Lance is already winning favor with San Francisco 49ers Offensive Coordinator Mike McDaniel, even with Jimmy Garoppolo in the room.

McDaniel raved over his new quarterback's ability to break down the game mentally, both through the eyes of his coaches and his own. “Having Trey in house, it’s been exciting because he is who we thought he was in terms of the diligent worker. The guy is very smart and he wants to do well, but he takes coaching,” said McDaniel.

The young OC also added, “That’s something that’s undervalued in this day and age, I think, that people don’t really give its true gravity. ‘Hey, a guy is willing to hear constructive criticism and take that and move forward,’ instead of getting their feelings hurt because we’re not in the business of feelings. We’re in the business of end results. So, I think all of our players and the culture that is kind of instilled here, they kind of understand that we are here to coach you for the better betterment of all of our existences.”

Lance may be giving defensive coordinators in the NFC West a headache with his dual-threat abilities that can threaten a secondary with deep ball accuracy, or keep linebackers on their toes with quick feet to break off a rushing attack.

With three more months to prepare before the start of the regular season, there's no telling how much swagger Lance and McDaniel will bring to the offensive attack, should Garoppolo get demoted to the bench in a make-or-break year for San Francisco.

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Alejandro Avila lives in Southern California and previously covered news for the LA Football Network. Jeopardy expert and grumpy sports fan. Known for having watched every movie and constant craving for dessert. @alejandroaveela (on X)