The San Francisco 49ers must have a lot of faith in one of the young quarterback prospects in this year's draft class. Maybe a lot of faith in a couple of young prospects. On Friday, general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan maneuvered San Francisco from the No. 12 overall pick up to No. 3, ensuring the team acquires one of the top prospects.
Trevor Lawrence is nearly a lock to go No. 1 overall. Zach Wilson could also be off the board by the time the 49ers are on the clock. That would still leave quarterbacks like Trey Lance, Justin Fields, or even Mac Jones in play. Although, selecting the latter may cause some frustration among the fanbase.
It's doubtful that Shanahan is considering social media feedback, though.
Whomever they choose, the 49ers have to hit on the selection. The franchise's future depends on it because the team committed a great deal of draft capital—first-round picks in the next two offseasons plus a third-rounder next year—to the move and essentially declared that Jimmy Garoppolo's days in San Francisco are numbered.
Should the choice pan out, it would have a significant impact on the 49ers' long-term goals.
Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young feels the move can breathe new life into the franchise. The Niners great turned ESPN analyst joined Hannah Storm on SportsCenter on Friday and shared what the trade means for the organization. He feels Shanahan and Lynch are comfortable with whoever might be left at the third pick.
"In many ways, this trade resets the clock for the Super Bowl window for the 49ers," Young said, "because now the investment in the quarterback in a rookie deal allows for all of the money to go to others, and they can keep a bunch of people, and they can kind of stay in that mix.
"When a quarterback gets the big money, like Jimmy got, that really limits the ability to kind of get that Super Bowl momentum. You can do it. We've seen it before. But this kind of resets the clock, and you say for a five-year window now, the 49ers should be in the mix in the Super Bowl. And I think that's another thing that people don't (understand)."
San Francisco was in the Super Bowl last year, coming just short of winning a championship. Being armed with a rookie quarterback contract for the next five years could allow the team's brain trust to continue building a strong roster around the young passer. Keeping Garoppolo for at least another year would keep the 49ers in contention this year, allowing the rookie to spend a season learning Shanahan's system.
Young is also a big fan of the quarterback from his alma mater, BYU's Wilson, and explains why he feels that would be a good match for the 49ers, should the New York Jets pass on the prospect.
