49ers training camp: 5 players who show off the most in 2021

5 of 5

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance (5) Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 1: 49ers Quarterback Trey Lance

It might not be enough for him to take over San Francisco’s starting quarterback gig right out of the gate in Week 1. But rookie signal-caller Trey Lance is reportedly making more than just the adequate number of strides to eventually unseat the starter, Jimmy Garoppolo.

More from Niner Noise

Especially according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco (h/t 49ers Webzone):

"He might be the only person since I’ve been covering the team, which is about a quarter of a (century), that from one week of OTAs to the next week, you could actually see the improvement. The first week we went out there and he just kind of seemed to be a little bit unsure of himself, a tick slow. The ball was sailing high. You could tell there was just a lot going on in his head. And in the next week, he went out there and you could tell — he was directing traffic, moving guys from spot A to spot B, and he threw the ball a little bit more accurately. It’s not often that you see a dramatic change that you can see with your naked eye."

It seems to be a tossup which quarterback winds up starting for the 49ers this season. One week, it’s Garoppolo. The next, Lance looks like he could be the favorite.

But the crux of this is the fact Lance has closed the gap and is at least in the discussion to start right away. This stands in contrast to the idea he’d need at least a full year’s development time to even get close to sniffing QB1 status.

Look for Lance to be the player who generates the most interest and reacts to it the best possible way during camp.

And if that happens, we might have to rewrite the narrative for the Niners’ upcoming 2021 campaign.

Next. 49ers' 15 best draft-day steals of all time. dark