Get ready to hear a lot of talk about Deshaun Watson. According to Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney, the Clemson quarterback will forego his senior year and enter the 2017 NFL Draft.
At 1-7 on the season, the San Francisco 49ers are currently projected to have the second overall selection in next year's draft, with only the winless Cleveland Browns ahead of them. Watson is very likely to be one of the top quarterbacks available if not the best quarterback available and the 49ers have a desperate need at the position.
Current starter Colin Kaepernick recently restructured his contract. It now allows him to void the contract following this season and become a free agent, which he is expected to do. The other two quarterbacks on the roster, Blaine Gabbert, and Christian Ponder will also be free agents. While the possibility of resigning one or both of them remains, neither is considered to be a viable option in the long run.
The 49ers are in need of a bonified starting quarterback that the team can build around. General manager Trent Baalke failed to properly address the position in this year's draft. He selected Jeff Driskel out of Louisiana Tech in the sixth round, but he failed to make the final roster and was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals.
This season, through nine games, Watson has passed completed 204 of his 317 passes for 2,497 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Through 30 total games with the Tigers, Watson has completed 67.4-percent of his passes for 7,480 yards, 68 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions. He has also rushed for 1,457 yards and 18 touchdowns on 321 attempts.