After weeks of indecision, or at least the appearance of indecision (nobody cooks up a more elaborate ruse than smokescreen artist John Lynch), some clarity has finally emerged on the Niners front with NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reporting late Sunday night that San Francisco plans to select one of Alabama’s Mac Jones or Trey Lance of North Dakota State with the third overall pick in Thursday night’s draft. That’s a marked change from a week ago when it appeared the 49ers were zeroing in on Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, who held a second Pro Day catered specifically to coach Kyle Shanahan. ESPN’s Adam Schefter had reported previously that whoever the team drafts at No. 3 will likely spend their first season holding the clipboard for incumbent Jimmy Garoppolo, who remains under contract through 2022.
Both quarterbacks come with question marks. It’s difficult to decipher whether Jones’ college success was the product of a loaded Alabama receiving corps or vice versa. Jones will also have to answer for athletic limitations and character concerns stemming from a DUI arrest his freshman year while Lance only appeared in one game last season and faces a steep learning curve transitioning from the relatively low-stakes environment of FCS to the bright lights of the NFL. There also seems to be a divide within the 49ers organization (though knowing their MO, it could be by design) with multiple reports suggesting Lynch prefers Lance while Shanahan appears to be in Jones’ corner.
After sacrificing precious draft capital to trade into the top three, San Francisco will be under increased scrutiny to make this pick count. Rapsheet’s report comes as great news for the Patriots, who many suspect are eyeing a more permanent solution at quarterback (former MVP Cam Newton is thought to be a mere placeholder). Justin Fields, arguably the top dual-threat QB in this year’s draft, would be precisely that. To land Fields, New England would likely have to leapfrog the similarly quarterback-needy Panthers and Broncos in Thursday night’s draft order. There’s also an outside chance of Atlanta and Detroit addressing quarterback in the first round despite the presence of veteran starters Matt Ryan and Jared Goff, respectively.
With Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson essentially locked in as the top-two picks, the draft won’t really start until the Niners step to the podium at No. 3.
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