49ers select QB Trey Lance in Lance Zierlein’s first mock draft

NFL Media draft analyst Lance Zierlein released his first mock draft of the year and has just two quarterbacks — Trevor Lawrence of Clemson and Zach Wilson of BYU — coming off the board before the San Francisco 49ers select at No. 12. That leaves head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch with a decision to make. Do they continue building a team around Jimmy Garoppolo or add a player who could eventually replace him?

Zierlein has the 49ers choosing the latter and selecting quarterback Trey Lance out of North Dakota State.

"Lance could go higher with a run on quarterbacks," admits Zierlein. "If he's available at 12th overall, he might be too enticing to pass up. His background and skill set fit perfectly within Kyle Shanahan's offense."

As for Justin Fields of Ohio State, Zierlein has him going to the New England Patriots three selections later.

The 20-year-old Lance went 192-of-287 (66.9 completion percentage) for 2,786 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and no interceptions through 16 games as a sophomore in 2019. He added 1,100 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns in those games, amassing 3,886 all-purpose yards.

The Bison's 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The quarterback appeared in one non-conference game last season against the Central Arkansas Bears and had 292 total yards (149 passing, 143 rushing), four total touchdowns (two passing, two rushing), and an interception.

Lance opted to forgo his remaining two years of eligibility to enter the NFL Draft, finishing his collegiate career with 4,272 total all-purpose yards, 48 total touchdowns, and one interception.