NFL Films producer and NFL Matchup analyst Greg Cosell spoke to Rich Eisen this week and was asked which rookie quarterback fell into the perfect situation during the draft. Which one will flourish for the foreseeable future because of the NFL scheme around him?
While it's tough to predict things in May, without having seen any of the rookies toss a pass in the NFL, Cosell's answer was Trey Lance, who the San Francisco 49ers drafted at No. 3 overall.
The plan is for Jimmy Garoppolo to be the starter come Week 1 of the regular season. That will allow Lance the time he needs to absorb and master as much of head coach Kyle Shanahan's playbook as possible.
Then you have those who feel Lance could surprise a few people and overtake Garoppolo in training camp, stealing the starting job.
"I really think Trey Lance is in a really good position, and I don't know if he'll be the starter," Cosell told Eisen. "We really don't know. Obviously, they still have Jimmy Garoppolo, and the assumption is that Jimmy Garoppolo is the starter. But I think if Trey Lance has a really, really good offseason and training camp, it would not surprise me to see Trey Lance end up being the starter sooner than later."
Lance remains a bit of an unknown commodity. However, his traits could end up being elite. Shanahan fell in love with the quarterback in January. Lance was the favorite in March when San Francisco traded significant draft capital to move up to the No. 3 overall pick.
Cosell feels Lance ended up exactly where he needed to be.
"And I think he's in a really good position with that team," Cosell continued. "They've got a plethora of running backs; really good backs. They've got an improved offensive line. They've got weapons on the outside. They've got Kittle. I mean, I think this team, offensively, is a fascinating team.
"And they've got Kyle Shanahan, who is such a good designer of offense with a great understanding of how to deploy his personnel. I actually think Trey Lance is in a really fascinating situation."
