49ers' Trey Lance 'Super Grateful' After Getting Text from Jimmy Garoppolo

Timothy Rapp @@TRappaRTFeatured ColumnistApril 30, 2021

North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance holds a San Francisco 49ers jersey after being chosen by the team with the third pick in the NFL football draft, Thursday April 29, 2021, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

The biggest storyline of the first round of the 2021 NFL draft on Thursday was which quarterback the San Francisco 49ers would select at No. 3 overall. Ultimately, they went with North Dakota State's Trey Lance, who likely will start the season learning behind Jimmy Garoppolo.

And it sounds like the two players are already getting to know each other.

"[Jimmy G] sent me a text last night," Lance told the Damon, Ratto & Kolsky show (h/t 95.7 The Game). "I was super grateful and thankful for that."

NFL legend and Hall of Famer Jerry Rice had high praise for Lance after the selection, which the 20-year-old quarterback said "was cool to hear":

95.7 The Game @957thegame
Trey Lance on The GOAT calling him a Ferrari 👇 “That was pretty cool to hear. Obviously, everything he’s done, the kind of person he is, how he handles himself, how he treats people. He’s a very special person.” https://t.co/mGTMbnEPFI

By all accounts, Lance is a talented yet inexperienced player with major upside and will spend the 2021 campaign getting acclimated to the NFL game and learning head coach Kyle Shanahan's playbook.

But he's the future of the position after the organization traded up from the No. 12 slot prior to the draft. The 49ers bet three first-round picks and a third-rounder that Lance will be special.

✨ Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content