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The San Francisco 49ers selected Trey Lance with the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft — but they almost went in another direction.
Head coach Kyle Shananan told the "I Am Athlete" Podcast that there were actually two quarterbacks that the Niners had their eyes on.
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Trey Lance (5) of the San Francisco 49ers and head coach Kyle Shanahan, right, of the San Francisco 49ers talk before the game against the Houston Texans at Levi's Stadium on Jan. 2, 2022, in Santa Clara, California. (Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
"There was two that I really wanted ... Mac Jones and Trey [Lance]. Those were the two guys that we were locked in on from the beginning," Shanahan said on the podcast.
The Niners originally held the 12th pick of the draft but felt that they had to move up in order to get their guy.
"We did the trade so early that it made me feel good about it. I knew before we did it how I felt about the quarterbacks and how good we would be to take them at 12. …
"If we never moved up to there, we would have never had the chance to learn more about Trey. That's the hardest thing — you got to be so sneaky and stuff when you're back there because you don't want people hopping in front of you, and I had a very strong (feeling) people were going to hop in front of us."
Shanahan said there wasn't truly a moment where it clicked, and went back and forth on his quarterback decision "every day."
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones celebrates a touchdown by Rhamondre Stevenson during the second half against the Cleveland Browns on Nov. 14, 2021, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
"When I have two things I believe in, I always check myself a lot. … That's how it was with him and Mac. … But the more you dive into it, the more I got to know the guy, the more I got to find out some stuff about him, the more I believed in what I didn't see and what I believe we will see."
Ironically enough, Jones wound up going 15th overall to the New England Patriots, so with 20/20 hindsight, the Niners could have stayed put.
Jones took over the reins from Week 1, while Lance sat behind Jimmy Garoppolo last year, and only started due to Garoppolo's injuries.
A year later, the 49ers are going with Lance in Week 1, and they have also allowed Garoppolo to seek trades.
San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks Trey Lance (5) and Jimmy Garoppolo (10) warm up before the game against the Los Angeles Rams on Jan. 9, 2022, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. (Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Lance started in two games last year and played in six overall. He completed 41 of his 71 pass attempts for 603 yards, throwing five touchdowns and two interceptions. He also ran for 168 yards and a touchdown on 38 carries.
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