There has been endless discussion surrounding what the San Francisco 49ers might do at the quarterback position. Last offseason, Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert entered a quarterback competition as the offseason program kicked off. Gabbert eventually won that competition but was replaced by Kaepernick after just five games. Neither of those players are with the 49ers anymore.
On Monday, former 49ers head coach Steve Mariucci, now with NFL Network, discussed what he felt current head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch might do at the quarterback spot. Will the 49ers draft a quarterback of the future with the second overall pick or would they wait until after the first round?
It is a foregone conclusion that the 49ers will select a quarterback at some point in the NFL Draft, which kicks off on April 27 in Philadelphia. The team has been doing its homework on numerous prospects. While the number two slot might seem too high for the quarterbacks who will be available, there is always the possibility that the 49ers might trade down.
First order of business for Kyle Shanahan and 49ers?
"They have to draft a guy," Mariucci said on NFL Total Access. "Maybe two. Melissa Stark and I interviewed Kyle Shanahan at the Combine and it was the day after Colin Kaepernick opted out of his contract and they had no quarterbacks. They had no pitching staff whatsoever because Blaine Gabbert was gone and Christian Ponder was gone. No quarterbacks.
"And so they grabbed a couple of guys from the Bears. They had no quarterbacks either. And you take a Brian Hoyer, who's been a starter – Michigan State guy, right – he's been a starter in the league. Matt Barkley, he started some games for them but one of those two guys will win that battle and hold down the fort until they develop this young guy, whoever it might be.
"The Niners are bringing in all kinds of quarterbacks to talk to. I don't see them drafting a kid [with] the second pick in the draft – at one of these quarterbacks. There are a lot of good guys. I know them well. But I think either trading back or that second-round pick, (they) might grab a quarterback and hope that he is their future."
As mentioned, the 49ers have been doing their homework. Lynch attended the pro days of North Carolina's Mitch Trubisky, Texas Tech's Patrick Mahomes, and Notre Dame's DeShone Kizer. He also took part in a semi-private workout with Clemson's Deshaun Watson.
The 49ers hosted Trubisky last week and are hosting Watson on Tuesday. The visits provide Shanahan with opportunities to meet with the players for the first time since the NFL Scouting Combine. Other than a trip to Stanford's pro day, Shanahan has been preparing for the draft by watching a lot of film in his office.
Even if the 49ers draft a quarterback, given his familiarity with Shanahan's offense, it is likely that the 49ers go into the 2017 season with Hoyer as their starter and give a rookie time to sit and learn. Hoyer started 14 games for the Cleveland Browns in 2014 while Shanahan was their offensive coordinator.