NFC West watch: 49ers pick Trey Lance to replace Jimmy Garoppolo, Cards add on to defense
The Jimmy Garopplo era in San Francisco will apparently end...with Trey Lance.
The 49ers switched up on many around the NFC West, the league and perhaps some within their own coaching and scouting staffs Thursday night. With the Seahawks sitting out round one because of their trade last summer to get Jamal Adams, San Francisco selected Lance, the North Dakota State quarterback, with the third-overall choice in the NFL draft.
The 49ers “did not tell their coaches or scouts their pick. They didn’t know the team was selecting Trey Lance until the pick was announced,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Last month, the Niners traded three first-round picks and a third-round selection to Miami to move from 12 to three. That expenditure assured San Francisco would be taking one of the top QBs in this draft—and all but assured the expensive, often-injured Garoppolo, their Super Bowl starter two seasons ago, was on his way out.
San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan hedged on that some after the pick of Lance, out of respect for Garoppolo perhaps more than reality.
Garoppolo has been the subject of trade rumors since his team traded up so richly to get to the third-overall pick. One of the QB-needy teams possible to deal for him, his former New England Patriots, drafted Alabama quarterback Mac Jones with the 15th pick Thursday.
Many around the league thought for the last month that San Francisco would draft Jones.
“Jimmy’s situation is, if he isn’t here on Sunday I’d be disappointed. ...He’s had some unfortunate injures, but I believe in Jimmy as a person, and he’s shown what he can do on tape,” Shanahan told Bay Area reporters, per Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee. “We made this move, it’s obvious what I hope and what I believe in this guy coming in. But it would be a very tough situation if Jimmy’s not on our team. I want Jimmy to be here, and I want this kid brought along.
“I want to see what (Lance) does, and if it turns into a competition, it turns into a competition. I’d be excited for that if he shows that he’s ready and stuff. ...
“So we’ll play that by ear. But I expect Jimmy to be here, and I’d be surprised if he wasn’t.”
Lance is viewed as the top quarterback in this draft class in terms of capacity to improve and rise in the NFL. He turns 21 next month.
He only played in one game in 2020. North Dakota State’s season got sidetracked by the coronavirus pandemic.
In 2019 as a redshirt freshman Lance he led North Dakota State to a perfect season, 16-0, and the Football Championship Subdivision national championship. His 287 throws without an interception was an NCAA record.
Biderman reported Lance “is considered the most raw prospect of the quarterbacks expected to go in the first round. Some observers believe he would need a year of development before taking over as starter.”
This year or next, the 49ers are poised to give half the NFC West new quarterbacks. The Los Angeles Rams traded 2016 top-overall choice Jared Goff to Detroit this offseason to acquire long-time Lions starter Matthew Stafford.
Arizona has Kyler Murray, the first pick in the 2019 draft, entering his third season as its franchise quarterback.
Russell Wilson is by far the longest-tenured starter in the division, at nine seasons and counting with the Seahawks.
Yes, the first round came and went with Wilson still Seattle’s quarterback, silencing yet another wild-as-Animal-Planet trade rumor about him this offseason.
That circus and hysteria has moved on. Aaron Rodgers has replaced Wilson as the national football soap opera for the NFL offseason.
Multiple reports Thursday before the draft began said the 49ers called the Packers Wednesday about whether Rodgers was available in a trade. The 37-year-old reigning NFL MVP reportedly has a dicey future in Green Bay.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported per league sources Rodgers has told the Packers he doesn’t want to play for them. Pro Football Talk said Rodgers thought he was headed to San Francisco, and that his preferred destinations were the 49ers, Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos.
About 90 minutes after the 49ers selected Lance, the Arizona Cardinals continued to stock up their defense for Murray and their offense by drafting linebacker Zaven Collins at 16th overall. Many around the league--and anybody who watches his highlight tape--see the linebacker from Tulsa as an athletic stud.
The Seahawks aren’t scheduled to pick first until 56th overall, later in round two on Friday.
The Rams are scheduled to draft for the first time right behind Seattle, at 57th overall in round two.
This story was originally published April 29, 2021 at 8:17 PM.
