Three years after the 49ers spent three first-round draft picks to sign him, Trey Lance is still a work in progress.

Lance, who started just four games for the 49ers and then didn’t play at all last year after being traded to the Cowboys, played a lot in Sunday’s preseason game against the Rams. Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said Lance, who started just one year in college, still needs some work. After Cooper Rush got into the starting lineup and led the Cowboys’ offense for one drive, Lance played the rest of the game.

“I try to achieve as much as possible with him“, McCarthy said, via ESPN. “You want to see him run the offense at a high level. The footwork and some of the things we’re asking him to do conceptually are new. We just need to work on it. We just need as much time as possible. I know I say this every time I talk about him, but he’s making good progress. He’s definitely wired in the right way. He’s a great athlete. There’s just a lot of work left to do.”

Lance completed 25 of 41 passes for 188 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions and three sacks. Those aren’t world-class numbers, but McCarthy said Lance did what was asked of him.

“I really liked his command,” McCarthy said. “Honestly, I tried to take advantage of … every situation we were in, so those fourth-down snaps are going to pay off in the future. I really believe that.”

Rush is still ahead of Lance in the Cowboys’ rankings, which means Lance will likely sit on the bench all season, just like he did last season. That means if he ever wants to develop, the preseason is his time.