Trey Lance had some highs in his NFL debut against the Kansas City Chiefs. But, unfortunately, the San Francisco 49ers rookie quarterback also had some lows. That's what made it so challenging for Pro Football Focus to evaluate Lance's play.
Lance finished the game having completed just five of his 14 pass attempts for 128 yards and two touchdowns through 29 snaps. He was also sacked four times, which impacted the evaluation. Lance's overall Pro Football Focus grade of 48.8 was the lowest among all rookie quarterbacks. That includes players selected after the first round, like Kyle Trask and Kellen Mond.
Obviously, most eyes were on the top five quarterbacks drafted, so Pro Football Focus ranked their five debuts. Zach Wilson of the New York Jets earned the top spot with a grade of 80.3, which has to please former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh—now the Jets' head coach.
Mac Jones of the New England Patriots came in second. For nearly a month, Jones was the most popular prediction for San Francisco's draft pick. However, the Niners passed on Jones, and the Patriots selected him at No. 15.
Trailing the two rookies is Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears, Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and finally Lance.
"One of the most difficult debuts to parse into a single grade, Lance's performance spanned the entire spectrum of quarterback play," wrote analyst Sam Monson. "His first play showcased his ability to effortlessly move around the pocket and find a receiver open for a first down, only to see Brandon Aiyuk drop the ball."
Then, on his second throw, which came on his second drive, Lance made the play of the game, throwing an 80-yard touchdown "perfectly on the money" across the field and up the right sideline to wide receiver Trent Sherfield.
Still, it was the sacks and near turnovers that hurt Lance's overall grade for the night.
"On the negative side of the ledger, he took a couple of unnecessary sacks and made three turnover-worthy plays — the latter being a backbreaker for a PFF grade on a small sample size," Monson continued. "None of them actually resulted in turnovers, but had either of the defensive backs caught the passes they stepped in front of instead of merely causing an incompletion, the vibe around Lance may well have been different.
"Overall, there was a lot of encouragement from his debut, but the negatives were hidden from the box score."
