San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel had no idea that Trey Lance of North Dakota State would be the pick at No. 3. None of the 49ers coaches did. That's how secretive head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch were being with the selection.
Lance didn't even know until minutes before hearing his name called by Commissioner Roger Goodell. That's what he told NFL Network's Melissa Stark onstage.
The 49ers traded for the No. 3 overall pick on March 26, giving up, along with a future third-round pick, first-rounders in the next two drafts. Since then, there has been much speculation surrounding what the team planned to do. Finally, the wait for Niner fans is over, and Lance is the organization's quarterback of the future.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo remains on the 49ers roster, and Lance is excited to work with him. Eventually, the former Bison will succeed the veteran quarterback.
"I'm excited to learn from him. Everything's he done," Lance told ESPN. "He's a mentor for me. I'm super excited to get there and learn as much as I possibly can."