THIRD OVERALL PICK IN 2021 IS THE ODD MAN OUT IN SAN FRAN

By Fahim “Coach Fah’ Nassar

In 2021, Trey Aubrey Lance was drafted third overall when the San Francisco 49ers committed a blockbuster trade with the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins received the 2021 twelfth overall, 2022 first round (29 overall) and third round pick (101 overall) as well as the 2023 number 29 overall (1st round).

Before we dive into today’s discourse, let’s have some fun revisiting the draft that year, or at least the top portion. The 2021 Draft in which Lance went third had Trevor Lawrence going first to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Zach Wilson going second to the Jets. 3 Quarterbacks aka “franchise saviors” in the first three picks. Now, let us look at that for a second.

Now, typically the road for a top pick quarterback is already a rocky one. There is no position like an NFL quarterback. They are the glory and the gall of all franchises. If you have a good to great quarterback, your chances of playoffs and that elusive Lombardi trophy are good.

If not, you better hope you have a quality organization that is properly run or your chances at a Super Bowl are about as good as Jim Irsay’s last coaching hire (as a coach).

As is the case for many teams picking in the top five positions. Most are dumpster fires, ala the Cleveland Browns (and I don’t hold out hope for Deshaun Watson righting the ship but that is neither here nor there).
There are exceptions, however. When a solid organization jumps up to get a quarterback the assumption is there will be time to learn and grow. There is no rush on the young QB, as there is someone in place for them to learn from ala Brett Favre and Aaron Rogers, or even Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes. Even Lamar Jackson had a disinterested Joe Flacco to watch in practice.

Therefore, the assumption was the 49ers, and John lynch jumped up to get a mobile quarterback in Trey Lance to learn
from the oft-injured “Jimmy G” (Jimmy Garoppolo) in hopes to being the future of that franchise.

Examples Examples:

Trevor Lawrence had probably one of the worst rookie campaigns ever as Urban Meyer ran that organization into the ground like Colonel Stewart landing planes in Die Hard 2. Luckily for Trevor, he got a new head coach, one that believed in him, and now Lawrence has a playoff victory under his belt. Zach Wilson’s first and second years had him benched for Mike White, A back up to the back up and left the Jets looking for a new savior in free agency in 2023.

The addition of Soon-to-be Hall-of-Famer Aaron Rogers means Wilson, won’t be the starting quarterback (barring injury) for at least two years. 2021 was a great season for the Niners, as they made it to the NFC Conference Title game, eventually losing to the Super Bowl winning Rams. The following year, with Garapolo’s injury issues mounting, Lance was to get his chance to be the full-time starter. Two games later, that dream was dashed by a severe ankle injury that kept him out all year.

Unfortunately for Lance, the emergence of “Mr. Irrelevant” (the last pick of the entire draft) Quarterback Brock Purdy as a viable number one option became a reality as the season came to a close. Now comes 2023. Trey A. Lance is cleared and ready to go. Yet now he faces a quarterback competition between Purdy and new free agent, Sam Darnold (another former top pick who flamed out at the quarterback position).

Was this a fair pairing to Lance, one may never know, BUT it surely did one
thing… drop Lance to third on the depth chart.

The announcement of the starting quarterback came relatively quickly but it is the announcement of the back up that has people surprised. The third pick of the 2021 draft, who the coach and general manager in lock-step drafted, was never given a real shot to play, is now on the trading black.

Will John Lynch get even a third of what he spent back? That is highly doubtful as Adam Schefter reported the 49ers wanted
significant compensation in a trade scenario a few months ago, are now conceding to lesser picks to get out from under their mistake.

The same mistake that happens way too much in a billion-dollar professional league. As a spectator for years’ I could not understand the throwing the young quarterback “into the fire” as that hardly, if ever actually works. Yet, it seems to be “the way”.

People will see this and look at Trey Lance as the cause of this problem, but he is not. He was just a talented kid drafted into the juggernaut of the NFL. His opportunities to learn and grow were few, and his is now being discarded by those who promised a bright future on draft night. John Lynch is the general manager , so this is on him.

In much the way Mitch Trubisky was drafted only to fail under the weight of pressure, Trey Lance’s career was asterisked before it even started.

There are a lucky few ones who make it out of the back-up role once it is garnered. Recently, Sam Darnold who was a top pick and started for the Jets, lost his job, stank it up with the Panthers and yet has another opportunity to be an NFL QB.

Baker Mayfield, the former number one overall has found a home in Tampa Bay, at least for now. While Mitch Trubisky, Marcus Mariotta, Jameis Winston, all who were top picks thrown into bad situations, are now back-ups, never to lead a team again.

Is this the fate of Trey Lance?

John Lynch gave away three first-round picks and a third rounder for nothing. Where is his dragging? Where is his blame? Players do not get to choose where they go, but the general managers, presidents and owners who do should have a plan for their picks, especially when they burn draft capital to get them.

What happened today will be remarked as a failure for Trey Lance, when it is actually a failure of poor drafting with no plan.

John Lynch should not be praised for this. The saddest part of this story is the frequency in which these top draft picks bust out or are relegated to back-up status mainly because organizations drafted them with no true plan; QBS thrown into a fire of poor coaching, poor organizational leadership, and roster construction or to appease a fanbase that wants a “splash”.

In these dangerous times of uncertainty for players, security and purpose should be something players aren’t worried about on draft night. Perhaps they should be. Perhaps there should be more Eli Mannings on draft night.

Perhaps.

*Photo courtesy of San Francisco Chronicle