© Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
There is a month before the NFL Draft, and the 49ers intend to use all of that time to evaluate quarterbacks. At least, that’s what they’ve said publicly, and is the case according to multiple reports.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, were the draft today, it sounds like Mac Jones would be the 49ers’ pick. He didn’t say that explicitly, but on his podcast, he pointed very heavily towards the 49ers liking Mac Jones, and didn’t have much to say about Justin Fields.
“I think they really like Mac Jones, that they really like Trey Lance,” Schefter said. “I think they’re intrigued by Justin Fields… If the pick were made today, I wouldn’t be shocked if it were Mac Jones. Mac Jones is a quarterback who in talking to another NFC general manager this week, said to me that the media does not have as high a grade on Mac Jones as teams do. And I asked him what he meant by that. And he said, Mac Jones has elite arm accuracy. He is an elite processor of seeing how the play is going to unfold. He is an elite leader. And that was how a GM from a non-NFC West team, not San Francisco, described Mac Jones to me, he said to me that his athleticism is as good as Matthew Stafford.”
Schefter went on to say that teams believe Mac Jones is good enough to be taken number three, but that they genuinely do intend to use the next month to evaluate all three options with Zach Wilson a near-lock to go No. 2 and Trevor Lawrence No. 1.
But whoever it is, expect Jimmy Garoppolo to stick around for the season. At least, that’s the plan.
“They’re gonna plan on having Jimmy Garoppolo there this year,” Schefter said. “Today a month out, that’s how I envision the 49ers quarterback situation, playing out with this team, giving the job to Jimmy Garoppolo this year with the understanding that the quarterback they picked third overall next month will be the guy that is the 40 Niners quarterback in the 2022 season.
Could there be injuries that change that? Sure. Could there be a trade offer between now and then that changes it? Sure. But today, at the end of March going into April, the 49ers plan is to pick their quarterback of the future at three and have Jimmy Garoppolo be their starting quarterback for this season.”
