As the San Francisco 49ers continue to work on a potential Jimmy Garoppolo trade, the franchise is set to move forward in a new direction in 2022. After making the NFC Championship last year, the Niners will have Trey Lance under center this season, signaling a significant change for the organization. In order for Lance to prosper in his first year as a starter, the Niners will need to see some big improvements from a handful of key players.
The 49ers are still hoping to be contenders in 2022, despite the drastic change they're making at quarterback. Lance will need to quickly develop a strong rapport with his teammates as he looks to lead the offense. If the 49ers want to repeat last season's improbable run, they'll need the offense firing. The defense figures to be productive as usual, but with Lance under center, the offense has quite a few uncertainties leading into the year. With all that in mind, here are three potential breakout players for the 49ers in the 2022 NFL season.
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49ers Breakout Players for 2022 NFL Season
3. Trey Sermon
While Elijah Mitchell is the clear top dog in the 49ers' backfield, the backup role is available in could be claimed by the team's 2021 third-round pick. Sermon was, quite frankly, not impressive in his rookie season, averaging 4.1 yards per carry on the year. Leading into the year, there was some hope that Sermon would take advantage of featuring alongside an inexperienced group of running backs and run away with the starting job, but that wasn't how things played out. Now, it's clear Sermon will be fighting for a backup role behind Mitchell, but that doesn't mean the former Ohio State product can't excel.
Sermon will know that he needs to make the most of every single opportunity he gets on the field. His path to playing time is far from certain, so he'll need to put in work in order to prove he's the right choice to back up Mitchell. If he can hold onto the role, we're expecting Sermon to show what made him such an intriguing selection on draft day just over a year ago.
Brandon Aiyuk had somewhat of an up-and-down season last year. After a slow start, during which Aiyuk felt like a ghost within San Francisco's offense, Aiyuk rebounded in the second half, showing that he was fully deserving of a sizable target share within the Niners' offense. Across his last eight games, Aiyuk hauled in 34 receptions for 570 yards and 3 touchdowns. In the nine games prior, Aiyuk had just 22 receptions, 256 yards, and 2 touchdowns.
After becoming a more integral part of the offense in the second half, we're expecting Aiyuk to continue trending upwards with Lance in at quarterback. While Deebo Samuel is the clear top receiver in San Francisco, barring a trade, Aiyuk will look to excel as the No. 2 or No. 3 option, benefitting from the coverage Samuel will command. If Lance and him get on the same page, he could post some huge numbers in 2022.
1. Trey Lance
Fans in San Francisco will finally get the extended look at Trey Lance they've been clamoring for since the Niners traded up to draft him third overall in 2021. The team kept Jimmy Garoppolo around last year while Lance found his footing in his new environment, but he's ready to be unleashed in 2022. With Garoppolo no longer in the team's plans, the Lance chapter is set to get underway, and he'll need to prove he's ready to face some top-tier defenses.
He certainly has the weapons around him to succeed, Samuel, Mitchell, Aiyuk, and George Kittle are all set for big seasons, and they'll make it easier for the 22-year-old to get off to a strong start. Confidence will be key for Lance in his first year as a starter, and having those types of weapons at his disposal should enable him to have the breakout year fans are hoping for.
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