Lance will wear No. 5, number of last Pro Bowl 49ers QB

Share

The 49ers found their franchise quarterback when they selected North Dakota State star Trey Lance with the No. 3 overall pick Thursday night in the 2021 NFL Draft.

On Friday, Lance chose what number he will don for the franchise that is hanging its long-term Super Bowl hopes on his otherworldly ability.

In choosing to sport the No. 5,  Lance takes over the number worn by the last 49ers quarterback to make a Pro Bowl: Jeff Garcia.

Other 49ers to wear the No. 5 are Jeff Brockhaus, David Carr and most recently punter Bradley Pinion.

RELATED: Winners and losers from Round 1 of NFL draft

In Lance, the 49ers selected a 20-year-old star with a big arm, elite athleticism and a beautiful football mind.

While many believed the 49ers would select Alabama QB Mac Jones with the No. 3 pick, coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear that Lance was their target from the beginning.

While Lance still is raw as a prospect, Shanahan was drawn to his ability to command an offense, get the ball where it needs to go and his ability to give the 49ers another dimension with his legs.

"I love his natural ability to play the position," Shanahan said of Lance. "Then when you add in a type of running element, which I've always been intrigued with, but when you've got a guy with the skillsets as far as speed and size, to where you're not going to make him a runner but if you can get in certain formations where the defense knows you will run him if they don't honor him, now everything is different. If you can ever get a guy like that and make 11-on-11 football then I think you got a guy who can change some things for you.

"But it always comes down to yeah, you can dabble in that, but you better be confident they can do everything else. He has played a year of football, it was at a smaller school, so that does take work. You're not going to see it all, so that's why it is a hard process and that's why there is no guarantees for any of us. So it's about believing."

Jimmy Garoppolo still is expected to be the starter this season as the 49ers hope to give Lance a season to develop before taking over Shanahan's lethal offense.

Whenever Lance does get the keys to Ferrari, he'll be rocking a number that has some history of success for the 49ers.

Download and subscribe to the 49ers Talk Podcast

Contact Us