3 things Trey Lance must accomplish right away in 49ers training camp
By Peter Panacy
No. 1: Trey Lance will want to mitigate a ‘real’ pass rush
If there was one noticeable knock against Trey Lance during his rookie season, predominantly early in the year, it was how he reacted to pressure and an opponent’s pass rush. While there was improvement between his two starts, Weeks 5 and 17, it’s still a glaring concern heading into 2022.
OTAs and mandatory minicamp don’t allow tackling and contact, so whatever pressure was generated had to be awfully limited and nowhere close to being real.
Sure, actual pass-rush pressure during training camp might be dialed back a bit. But when the pads come on after a few days of practice, the intensity will ramp up considerably.
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The 49ers have a good pass rush. We know this. Headlined by Pro Bowl EDGE Nick Bosa, who also didn’t partake in on-field workouts during OTAs and minicamp, the Niners will look to see how well this particular element of the defense is functioning against a dual-threat like Lance, as that’ll translate well over into the regular season.
Plus, with San Francisco already having questions about a reworked offensive line, Lance’s own response will be vital.
If Lance displays some serious growth under pressure from what he displayed a year ago, it’ll be a massive development. If not, it’ll be a massive concern that’ll plague him into the regular season.