One of the biggest unanswered questions heading into the 2022 NFL season, is how will Trey Lance develop in his first full season as the 49ers' starting quarterback.
With veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo backing him up, San Francisco is committed to the 22-year-old under center this season. After sitting most of his rookie season, Lance is one of five first-round quarterbacks who are looking to take a leap forward in Year 2.
ESPN's Bill Barnwell analyzed the five first-round quarterbacks, and which famous breakout seasons throughout NFL history each of them could emulate in their sophomore seasons. For Lance, Barnwell believes that he most likely is the one to have a Patrick Mahomes-like breakout.
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"Not only could it happen in 2022, but Lance is an obvious candidate who would qualify," Barnwell writes. "While he played more during his rookie season for the 49ers than Mahomes did in 2017, the QB from North Dakota State started only two games.
"Lance is a different sort of quarterback than Mahomes, but despite what we saw from the 22-year-old as a rookie, his upside in Year 2 is similarly devastating."
Both Lance and Mahomes were raw quarterback prospects who sat their rookie seasons behind season veterans before taking over under center in offensive systems loaded with talent.
In his sophomore season, Mahomes threw for 5,097 yards passing, 50 touchdowns with just 12 interceptions, and a 66 percent completion percentage in his historic MVP-winning campaign.
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Now, Barnwell is not predicting that Lance will replicate Mahomes' incredible 2018 season. Rather, he believes Lance is set up best for a Year 2 boom, similar to that of a previously-raw prospect in Mahomes.
Whether or not Lance actually takes that next step and develops into the star San Francisco hopes he becomes remains to be seen. Although, we should start to get answers sooner rather than later with the 49ers' Week 1 matchup against the Chicago Bears just eight days away.