49ers NFL Draft: 4 teams that regret not taking Trey Lance

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Taylor Heinicke, Ron Rivera, Washington Football Team

Nov 14, 2021; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Football Team quarterback Taylor Heinicke (4) with head coach Ron Rivera Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 3: Washington Football Team would have had a pipe dream for Trey Lance

All one needs to do is take a look at any team’s quarterback situation, and if it’s not ideal, they’d be in the running for someone like Trey Lance.

The Washington Football Team had bridge options at the position, both with Taylor Heinicke and Ryan Fitzpatrick. And while Heinicke has shown some modest flash this season and could potentially help get his team into the playoffs, the old adage still applies:

If you don’t have an elite-level “the guy” quarterback, you need to be looking for one.

Washington eventually settled on linebacker Jamin Davis at No. 19 overall, and it would have been a near miracle had someone like Lance fallen that far in the draft order. But just as the Bears did with Justin Fields, moving up to No. 11 overall, it wouldn’t have been that far off for the Football Team to aggressively trade up, too.

Perhaps not within the top five, of course. But at least within the top 10, giving head coach Ron Rivera an exciting prospect in the mold of another quarterback with whom he had success years before, Cam Newton.

Nevertheless, the Niners prevented anything of the sort from happening, as did the Bears and Patriots with their respective signal-caller selections.