Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance didn’t work out as the third pick three years ago, but general manager John Lynch sees better things to come for the Dallas Cowboys backup.
“I always am careful of this, because Trey Lance’s story hasn't been written yet,” Lynch told reporters on Monday.
San Francisco traded up to take Lance out of North Dakota State, but he played sparingly amid injury. It led to the final overall 2022 draft pick, quarterback Brock Purdy stealing the show in The Bay Area.
“He’s in Dallas right now, and I still think Trey’s got good football in him,” Lynch said. “We’ll see. That will play out. But I think, also, the freedom that, when you’ve done something, and you feel like maybe it can improve us to move on, we aren't beholden to, ‘Well, we drafted the guy. We've just got to stick it out.’ We can do the things we want to do, and I think that served us well.”
The 49ers made things work when Lance went down with a season-ending ankle injury in 2022. San Francisco traded Lance to the Cowboys in 2023 for a fourth-round pick after Purdy excelled.
49ers Had Best Return for Trey Lance Among 2021 Draft Class
It turns out the 49ers excelled on the trade with the best return among all of the teams that traded a 2021 first-round draft class quarterback. The second-to-last domino fell on Monday when the New York Jets traded Zach Wilson, the former No. 2 pick, to the Denver Broncos for a sixth or seventh-round pick.
Niners insider David Lombardi of The Athletic broke down how the 49ers capitalized with the first move in 2023. The New England Patriots and Chicago Bears followed suit this year with Mac Jones and Justin Fields respectively, but both teams only netted a sixth-round pick.
“Lance remains the most unknown commodity of this quartet. Wilson, Fields and Jones have all already had extended in-game struggles; Lance hasn’t,” Lombardi wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday. “It’s best to move early in these situations. It’s easy to move early when you have Brock Purdy. Moral of the story: Draft Brock Purdy. Not that hard, right?”
The only first round quarterback from 2021 to remain with his original team is Jacksonville Jaguars starter Trevor Lawrence. Jacksonville took Lawrence with the No. 1 pick that year.
Lance wowed scouts when he went 16-0 in 2019 with NDSU. He only had one showcase game against Central Arkansas in 2020 due to COVID since the Bison played in the spring with the rest of the FCS that season.
His biggest chance to showcase his talent against premiere competition got thwarted when Oregon canceled its 2020 season opener with the Bison. It also didn’t give NFL scouts a chance to see what he could do against FBS competition.
Cowboy’s Dak Prescott Situation Could Open Door for Trey Lance
Lance’s opportunity could come in 2025 if the Cowboys move on from quarterback Dak Prescott amid stalled contract negotiations. Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones likes what he sees in the Marshall, Minnesota, native.
“He just exhibits everything you would think a Top 5, Top 10 pick would exhibit, which is what he was in the draft and which is why we gave up a significant draft pick to get him,” Jones said on April 19 during an interview with 105.3 The Fan.
If the Cowboys decide to give Lance a chance in 2025, his fifth-year option could cost $22.4 million as reported by Spotrac. Lance has started eight games and has thrown for 797 yards and five touchdowns while also throwing three interceptions.
