The 49ers enter the 2022 NFL season with high expectations.
They also enter with a first-year starting quarterback, Trey Lance, who enters his second NFL season with a total of just 19 starts since his final season of high school.
Peter King of NBC Sports believes the 49ers have the talent to win a lot of games. But he also believes they should not put too much on the plate of Lance.
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“The running game is going to be really, really important because if you rely on a guy to win games and score into the high-20s and 30s consistently, a guy who’s had one year of starting quarterback experience at the (FCS) level since he got out of high school, I think you’re a fool,” King said on 49ers Talk.
One of the 49ers’ strengths appears to be on defense. The front seven appears dominant with Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead leading a deep defensive line rotation, and a strong corps of linebackers with Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw and Azeez Al-Shaair. The 49ers’ defensive backfield should be much improved with the addition of cornerback Charvarius Ward.
On offense, King expects coach Kyle Shanahan to feature the Elijah Mitchell-led running game. Lance also has running ability that the 49ers can use to keep defenses honest.
“If I were the 49ers, I would be trying run it, trying to eat the clock,” King said. “I would not take Trey Lance on my fantasy team. I don’t think he’s going to be inordinately productive in terms of top-10 in yards or anything like that.
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“But I think the Niners are going to be a very good running team, and they are going to try very hard to be a good running team.”
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King said he believes Lance will flash the promise that led the 49ers to select him with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. But he can almost guarantee the young quarterback will experience some difficulties, too.
“My gut feeling is he’ll play a little better than average,” King said. “But I think he’s going to have some bad days because (so has) every quarterback who’s ever played.”