The 49ers have already started implementing changes to their offense with Trey Lance under center, and these three players figure to benefit a lot in 2022.
The San Francisco 49ers are undergoing a massive transition entering 2022, and the thought of second-year quarterback Trey Lance leaving his stamp on head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense is awfully intriguing.
Sure, Lance is still a relative unknown. Having started just two games his rookie year, and having attempted a mere 318 passes at the collegiate level, the word “raw” might not be enough. If it’s not, “inexperienced” certainly is adequate.
However, assuming Lance at least comes close to reaching his expected level of production this upcoming season, there are plenty of reasons to be excited.
The No. 3 overall pick from the 2021 NFL Draft can do things his predecessor, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, could never dream of. And while Garoppolo’s experience and quick release were assets, Lance’s ability to target players deep down the field will be a welcomed addition to Shanahan’s offense.
Same with Lance’s scrambling abilities, too.
However, given how big the “hand in glove” nature of the NFL is, Lance will have to be aided by his supporting offensive cast, while that same cast will look to benefit from the quarterback’s presence, too.
Some players should thrive more than others, though. All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel would likely be elite with anyone under center, so it’s hard to say he’ll drastically improve in 2022.
As far as others? Well, let’s take a look at three additional Niners offensive players who stand to benefit the most with Lance getting them the ball.
No. 3 player who benefits from Trey Lance: WR Jauan Jennings
Deebo Samuel’s offseason holdout opened up the door for a number of San Francisco’s depth receivers to see additional snaps during the team’s organized team activities.
One of them is third-year wideout Jauan Jennings, who went from an afterthought on the practice squad in 2020 to one of the 49ers’ most productive third-down possession receivers over the course of 2021 and into the playoffs.
Seriously, it felt as if each one of Jennings’ 24 catches for 282 yards last season came in a clutch moment.
But that was with Jimmy Garoppolo (mostly) at the helm.
It’s unclear whether or not Trey Lance can take advantage of Jennings’ physicality. However, if there’s good news stemming from OTAs, it’s that Lance already appears to be building a rapport with the former Tennessee standout, at least according to Sports Illustrated:
"Received a team-high five targets during team drills and caught five of them. The passes he didn’t catch were errant throws. It’s clear Lance trusts Jennings. That’s his safety blanket."
Granted, Samuel being out meant those passes had to go somewhere else.
But if Jennings winds up being the primary third-down benefactor, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the wide receiver put up even more impressive and more important numbers compared to a year ago.
No. 2 player who benefits from Trey Lance: TE George Kittle
Like Deebo Samuel, All-Pro tight end George Kittle is in one of those categories where it almost doesn’t matter who’s under center. Case in point, back in 2018 after Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a season-ending ACL tear in Week 3, Kittle went on to set the single-season record for tight end receiving yards with 1,377 yards at the hands of backup quarterbacks C.J. Beathard and Nick Mullens.
However, it’s possible Trey Lance unlocks a level of play from Kittle not seen since 2018.
For starters, young quarterbacks often look for their tight ends, and Lance will fall into this category. Additionally, the big-bodied presence of a tight end is perfect for mobile quarterbacks who extend plays with their legs, which is something ESPN’s Mina Kimes pointed out already (h/t Niners Nation):
"What’s going to be different, and what really intrigues me is, what Trey Lance brings as a play-maker. We have not really seen George Kittle play with that type of quarterback. Think of Kansas City. How many times have we seen the play break down, and Travis Kelce finds a way to get open because of his connection with Patrick Mahomes? If they can approximate anything close to that, and I think Kittle of course has that ability, this offense is going to be really scary."
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Contrasting Kelce and Kittle, at least over the last two years, the former always had a knack for taking advantage of better quarterbacking, whereas Kittle made the most with Garoppolo, Mullens and Beathard under center, namely in 2020.
Perhaps, as Kimes suggested, a Lance-Kittle tandem won’t fall far off from where a Mahomes-Kelce relationship is now.
No. 1 player who benefits from Trey Lance: WR Brandon Aiyuk
Going back to that strong-armed element from Trey Lance, there’s one focal point that suggests third-year wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk stands to gain a ton with the new signal-caller taking charge in 2022.
Aiyuk’s early struggles a year ago were well-documented, as Kyle Shanahan frequently asked the former Arizona State standout to run deep routes, only to see his share of targets drop in response to Jimmy Garoppolo’s weaker arm.
It’s something The Krueg Show’s Larry Krueger pointed out to us here on the Niner Noise Podcast earlier, and perhaps it factored into Aiyuk’s early season frustrations before he finally turned it on in the second half of 2021.
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Nevertheless, Aiyuk still managed to showcase reasons why he can be a deep threat, posting a 10.4-yard average depth of target last year, according to Pro Football Focus, which was by far the most out of any of the Niners’ starters.
For reference, Deebo Samuel’s ADOT in 2021 was 7.8.
Lance is the kind of quarterback Aiyuk will need in order for the wideout to fully deploy his arsenal of skills and abilities. On top of that, Lance’s arm strength will finally open up Shanahan’s offense at all three levels, which should help serve the other two players on this list, too.