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Free agency provided something of a reprieve from all the quarterback speculation. Since the Matthew Stafford trade fell through and the Los Angeles Rams usurped any other offers on the table, it has seemed more likely than not that the 49ers would stick with Jimmy Garoppolo as their starting quarterback, no matter how much that idea is despised by fans.
But general manager John Lynch said explicitly that the 49ers need to add an improved backup quarterback, and they have yet to do so via free agency. That leaves the NFL Draft, where as many as five quarterbacks may go in the first round. Trevor Lawrence is the presumptive number one pick, with Zach Wilson likely to the New York Jets at No. 2, and both Justin Fields and Trey Lance likely to follow.
The fifth guy is Mac Jones, who looks awfully Kirk Cousins-ey on tape. He doesn’t possess any of the exciting physical attributes that the four other prospects have, but he’s not stone-footed, and was almost faultless for Alabama last season. He processes the game well, and his accuracy, especially on deeper patterns, is far better than some might expect. He’s a guy where you can see the fit in Kyle Shanahan’s offense from Day 1.
The issue, though, is that Jones has gone from being a sneaky good pick at the start of Round 2, to a guy some (like former GM Mike Tannenbaum) are projecting won’t fall out of the top eight picks. That’s a monumental swing on a guy who, again, doesn’t have plus athleticism that you would ideally want if you’re selecting your quarterback of the future.
That hasn’t stopped folks like ESPN’s Todd McShay from predicting the 49ers will take him way too high, though. In his latest mock draft, McShay goes wild with the quarterback projections, saying that four-straight quarterbacks will come off the board with picks one through four: Lawrence to the Jaguars, Wilson to the Jets, Fields to the Panthers in a trade up, Lance to the Falcons.
Four quarterbacks in the top four, of course, has never happened, and it’s not likely it will this year, or probably ever.
After that flurry of quarterback selections to open the draft, McShay mocks a 49ers trade up with the Denver Broncos, jumping from 12 to 9 overall, likely with the 49ers’ second-round pick (No. 43 overall) included.
“In my last mock, I had San Francisco moving down. Now the Niners slide the other direction, jumping into the top 10. Denver is looking to address a bunch of areas of its roster, including the defense. Considering zero defensive players have come off the board to this point, a move down for more assets is a safe gamble; someone will be there at No. 12. And in the process, the Broncos could add something along the lines of an extra second-rounder (No. 43) and perhaps a 2022 first- or second-rounder, in addition to that No. 12 pick this year. It’s tough to tell at this point just how eager the Niners will be for a quarterback.
Here’s his explanation on why Jones is a fit:
“Five quarterbacks in the opening nine picks would beat the previous record of five in the first 12 selections (1999). Jones doesn’t have the rushing ability of the other four QBs, but he processes quickly, has excellent ball placement on short-to-intermediate throws and shows the ability to anticipate. He’d mesh nicely with the Niners’ quick game and could bring more balance to an offense that has run on the sixth-highest percentage of plays in the NFL since coach Kyle Shanahan took over in 2017.”