San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance, the No. 3 selection of the 2021 NFL Draft, is suddenly one of the top names to follow in the trade rumor mill.
On Wednesday, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported that the 2022 NFC runner-ups “have “received inquiries from several teams” regarding a possible trade for the North Dakota State product.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell proposed a hypothetical trade for all 31 first-round selections in this year’s draft. For the Minnesota Vikings’ first-round selection at No. 23 overall, Barnwell proposed a three-team trade that would see Lance go to the NFC North club.
Barnwell’s proposal would see the Vikings get Lance, the No. 102 pick and No. 216 picks from San Fran and the No. 63 selection from the Philadelphia Eagles. The 49ers would receive the No. 23 pick plus old friend and QB Nick Mullens, and the 2022 NFC champions would get the No. 99 and No. 103 picks from San Fran plus Minnesota’s 2025 fourth-round pick:
“Here’s how the Vikings get their quarterback of the future and the 49ers get back into the first day of the draft. It feels like this three-way trade should somehow involve Kirk Cousins ending up with the 49ers, but cap constraints on both sides make that impossible…
The 49ers would give up on Lance, but they would move forward for now with Mullens, Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold as their options under center before considering a reunion between Cousins and Kyle Shanahan in free agency next year. Moving up to No. 21 would allow them to draft a replacement for right tackle Mike McGlinchey, who left in free agency. Broderick Jones (Georgia) or Darnell Wright (Tennessee) could be available there.”
Two years ago, the 49ers traded the No. 12 pick of the 2021 draft, 2022 first and third-rounders and a 2023 first-rounder (it now belongs to the New Orleans Saints) to the Miami Dolphins for the No. 3 pick. The selection was then used on Lance.
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After sitting behind Jimmy Garoppolo for most of his rookie year, Lance entered 2022 as the starter. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks. Garoppolo took over as the starter but suffered a foot injury that ended his season 11 weeks later, and Brock Purdy finished the year as the starter.
Purdy won all five regular season starts and led the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game, where they fell to the Eagles. Purdy suffered a UCL injury in that game and was extremely limited in the loss.
Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is entering the final year of his contract, and there’s no indicator that the team is eyeing an extension. If the club is looking to move on, then trading for a young quarterback like Lance makes plenty of sense.
