What the 49ers will receive in return for Jimmy Garoppolo has and will continue to be the subject of much debate until San Francisco trades him this offseason.
Though the notion of his value varies somewhat wildly, you’d be hard pressed to find many who believe Garoppolo would command anything more than a second or late first round pick.
However, one NFL executive believes there is a possibility that the Washington Commanders could fork out a premium for Jimmy G. Specifically, the No. 11 pick in this year’s draft.
One executive positively labeled Garoppolo a “functional starter,” a level he says doesn’t apply for several players who started games in 2021, like Washington’s Taylor Heinicke — and perhaps all of the 2022 QB draft prospects.
The executive doesn’t think Garoppolo is worth the 11th selection or any first-round choice based on skill set and injury history. Yet he argued the Commanders could justify sending the pick to San Francisco should they concede none of the incoming passers are worthy of that selection. For a team that needs to win now, the veteran here trumps the unproven rookies.
Basically Washington doesn’t want to go into 2022 with Taylor Heinicke has their starting quarterback, but may be hard pressed to find a better option beyond Garoppolo. None of the pending free agents in the QB market are on Garoppolo’s level (except for maybe Jameis Winston) and the best QB coming out in the draft is Malik Willis out of Liberty in a historically weak QB class. Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson are two QB who may be on the trade market, but either heading to Washington seems like a long shot.
So, Garoppolo might be Washington’s best option, and if the 49ers know the Commanders are desperate, they may be able to get a primer pick.
A first rounder for Garoppolo would be a coup, considering they gave up a second-rounder to the Patriots for his services in 2017.