3 questions Trey Lance must answer during 49ers training camp

Trey Lance won’t be avoiding any scrutiny when he takes the field for 49ers training camp this summer, meaning he’ll have to fully live up to the hype.

A year ago, months after the San Francisco 49ers traded up for and then subsequently used the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the conversation surrounding quarterback Trey Lance was whether or not he could potentially usurp veteran signal-caller Jimmy Garoppolo as the Niners’ starter despite the rookie having awfully little experience stemming from his collegiate days at North Dakota State.

And, if he couldn’t, it was fair to wonder what Lance’s role would be in year one.

Heading into 2022, these shouldn’t be the focal points any longer. Lance is the unquestioned starter even if Garoppolo remains on the roster despite San Francisco’s attempts to trade him.

That said, Lance’s critics are going to be out in full force despite him showing plenty of capability with first-team units during organized team activities and mandatory minicamp.

Let’s take a look at some of those criticisms and see how Lance can adequately address them once training camp kicks off in late July.

Question No. 3: Trey Lance and his ‘arm fitness’

Remember that chatter from former NFL player Ryan Harris when he told CBS Sports he was concerned Lance would have issues with “arm fitness?”

Those who have watched Lance attempt deep passes already think this notion is folly, but the national narrative will nevertheless run with it until proven otherwise.

And while Harris has a mild point about whether or not Lance’s arm will be adequate enough by the time the final weeks of the regular season are upon us, the second-year quarterback can put a lot of this argument to rest if he’s regularly able to target receivers deep down the field without much difficulty.

One of the points to monitor will be charting Lance’s passes in practices, specifically those with an aerial distance of 20-plus yards.

If Lance is struggling in this department during training camp, his “arm fitness” will still be a glaring question mark heading into the regular season.