All eyes have been on San Francisco since GM John Lynch swung a trade for the third pick in this year’s NFL Draft, putting the Niners in prime position to nab their quarterback of the future (which apparently isn’t Jimmy Garoppolo). With Trevor Lawrence all but certain to land in Jacksonville and the Jets reportedly zeroing in on Zach Wilson, that leaves the 49ers to choose between Ohio State’s Justin Fields, North Dakota State standout Trey Lance and Heisman finalist Mac Jones of Alabama.
None are sure things—much has been made of Fields’ motor in recent days (Dan Orlovsky addressed this topic about as clumsily as possible onThe Pat McAfee Show) while Lance, for all his athletic gifts, will have to answer for the relatively weak level of competition he faced in FCS. The most common criticism of Jones has been his subpar athleticism, despite clocking a faster 40 time than both Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, who are plenty mobile. Jones’ immensely talented supporting cast at Alabama (DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle are consensus first-rounders) also makes him somewhat difficult to evaluate.
Months ago, it would have been unthinkable to see Jones drafted ahead of Lance and Fields (Fields falling to New England at 15 would be the ultimate coup in a career full of heists by Bill Belichick), but apparently, the Niners are preparing to do exactly that, as Adam Schefter alluded Tuesday on ESPN Radio.
“I believe, in the end, that they will pick Mac Jones at three. That will be the pick and they will keep Jimmy Garoppolo this year,” Schefter posited during his appearance on DiPietro, Canty and Rothenberg. “They want to draft a quarterback and have that guy sit on the bench, learn, get acclimated, even though some people think Mac Jones is ready to play right away. And then, after the season, they’ll move on from Jimmy.”
In that scenario, 2021 would essentially operate as a redshirt year for Jones, though the 49ers won’t have that luxury if Garoppolo can’t stay healthy. “Garoppolo has missed most of two of the past three seasons with injuries,” said Schefter, acknowledging the need for a capable backup. “There are no assurances that he’s even going to remain healthy.”
Though it’s taken the general public a while to catch on (we’re also conditioned to be especially skeptical this time of year with smokescreens and misdirects galore), the Niners haven’t been particularly subtle in their affinity for Jones. Coach Kyle Shanahan seemingly tipped his hand last week by attending Jones’ Pro Day in Tuscaloosa when Fields was holding his showcase in Columbus at the same time. Chris Simms, a former college teammate of Shanahan’s at Texas (Shanahan was also on the Bucs’ coaching staff when Simms played there), has also indicated his belief San Francisco traded up with Jones in mind. Most telling of all, Shanahan, in what more or less amounts to a confession, admitted, “Now that you’re up at three, you don’t have to hide as much.”
Draft season is rife with overthinking, particularly in a year without an NFL Combine. But when the most plugged-in reporter in the sport, a close friend of Shanahan and Shanahan himself are all indicating the same thing, it might be time to read the writing on the wall and accept that Jones is probably headed to San Francisco.
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