The first splash of the NFL Draft happened before it was even underway, when the San Francisco 49ers traded all the way up to No. 3 pick from No. 12 at the end of March. The move sent shockwaves through the league and one thing became real apparent, the 49ers were going to draft a quarterback.

Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay and 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan have a long history working together and both have noted how good of friends they are. Via 49erswebzone.com, McVay said on the “Flying Coach” podcast that he thought Shanahan might go a completely different direction than Trey Lance, who they ended up taking.

“I thought there was a possibility that Kyle was gonna go (Kyle) Pitts at three,” McVay said. “In all seriousness, because he's such a visionary. I'm telling you, I didn't think it was going to be a crazy thought because you go back to when New England had the two-tight end set, and they were doing things totally different. You think about what (George) Kittle. And then, the thing that makes sense is that, hey, Jimmy's (Garoppolo) produced all the way. This isn't a production thing.” – Sean McVay.

The idea of Pitts and Kittle in the same huddle would've been an absolute dream scenario for any quarterback. Instead, the 49ers did what most expected them to do by taking a quarterback. Pitts went one selection later to the Atlanta Falcons at No. 4 in the 2021 NFL Draft.

McVay knows Shanahan better than most and because of that, he expected the unexpected at No. 3. The 49ers may have pondered the decision but ultimately went with Lance.