49ers rookie power rankings as 2021 preseason comes to a close

49ers Rookie Power Rankings: No. 1

49ers Quarterback Trey Lance

Yeah, top-five NFL Draft picks should hopefully wind up at the very top of rookie power rankings for every team.

But in the case of quarterback Trey Lance, one could make the argument he’s among the top players to watch on the Niners roster overall.

San Francisco 49ers

True, Lance has had his share of up-and-down moments, including getting sacked six times over approximately four quarters, tossing an interception while getting away with other near-picks, having a tough time recognizing pressure and often delivering fastball passes when offspeed stuff would do.

That said, the playmaking dynamic is certainly there, and Lance’s three touchdown passes this preseason lead all rookie quarterbacks through two weeks. On top of that, Lance’s performance against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2 of the preseason showed he could engineer both a successful two-minute drive and another elongated time-consuming drive, both culminating in touchdowns.

None of this might be enough to seize the starting job away from the veteran, Jimmy Garoppolo, by the time Week 1 rolls around.

But the fact fans and analysts are having this conversation amid the context of a playoff-caliber San Francisco roster sure says a lot about Lance’s prospects for the future.