49ers roster: Power ranking top 10 offensive players entering Week 7

No. 8: 49ers Quarterback Trey Lance

If Niner Noise was to do a futures report for young up-and-coming players, Trey Lance should be at the No. 1 spot. No questions asked.

Kyle Shanahan has attempted to ease the No. 3 overall draft pick in slowly, a plan that ultimately went out the window in Week 5 when Jimmy Garoppolo was sidelined with a calf injury, giving way to Lance’s first-ever NFL start. In that bout versus the still-undefeated Arizona Cardinals, Lance showed two equally true elements: his massive potential and upside, as well as the very real fact he’s raw and unrefined.

Lance’s 15-of-29 passing in that game for 192 yards with an interception, coupled with 89 rush yards, had some promising moments. But it was also apparent Shanahan and the 49ers have neglected to bring the rookie up to speed as much as they should have by this point.

Overall on the season, though, Lance has had his moments and has accounted for four touchdowns, three of which have come through the air, and it’s safe to assume he offers much more to the team over the long run than the next player on this list, notably the one from whom Lance is trying to steal the starting job, Jimmy Garoppolo.