49ers have 1st-round pick, and his name is Trey Lance

SANTA CLARA >> The 49ers have a firstround draft pick Thursday night whether or not they trade Deebo Samuel.

His name is Trey Lance, and given the so-so reviews of this year's quarterback class, the 49ers a year ago secured the services of the player who likely would have been this year's nodoubt-about-it No. 1 overall pick.

Think about that as you ponder the frustration and boredom that comes with having no selections during the big show from Las Vegas and the interminable wait (barring trades) for the second round and a pick at No. 61 overall.

The cost of doing business for going all-in on Lance and moving from No. 12 to No. 3 was three first-round draft picks. As it stands, the 49ers have no first-round pick in

2024, either.

Assuming Lance is as good as the 49ers think he is, and the perceived topend quality of this year's draft, coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch did the right thing. Line up the 2021 Lance against the 2022 quarterback crop of Malik Willis (Liberty), Kenny Pickett (Pitt), Desmond Ridder (Cincinnati) and others and it's no contest.

And given that the draft overall is thought to be a little light in terms of game-changers but fairly solid with role players, having three selections Friday and six Saturday is not a bad place to be.

The 49ers did their heavy lifting a year ago with Lance, and they've got a legit prospect and a quarterback of the future instead of just a 2022 lottery ticket.

Lance was put on ice for the most part after playing against FCS competition at North Dakota State in 2019 and then having his 2020 season essentially wiped out by the COVID-19 virus. Shanahan never wavered from his plan to have Jimmy Garoppolo play another year.