Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young brought up an interesting point during his Wednesday interview on KNBR. The San Francisco 49ers don't expect—or hope not—to be drafting as high as No. 12 in upcoming years. So, if they wanted one of the top quarterbacks, and with next year's crop of prospects not looking as attractive as this year's, moving up in this draft was probably a smart move.
The 49ers would probably never find a way to get into the top three if they sit in the low 20s—or even better, at No. 32. At No. 12, however, they had a shot and pulled it off. They still had to give up a lot, though, to make a move.
Now, the choices appear to be Justin Fields, Trey Lance, or Mac Jones. Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson look slated to go one and two. Maybe that's unfortunate. Young believes that the 49ers are probably very high on Wilson, who seems just out of reach.
"There's no question in my mind that if they can figure out how to get Zach, that's their No. 1 first choice," Young said during the Tolbert, Krueger & Brooks show. "I just don't know how they get it done. The Jets have committed to Zach and recruited the family. I just don't know how that gets undone, but look, a lot can happen.
"I think Zach would love it (if the 49ers drafted him), the family would love it, nothing would make anyone happier. I think the 49ers, that's their unstated first choice, so that would be wonderful. If that can happen, they'll figure it out, and ... I think he's ready to play."
The Jets passing on Wilson and having the BYU product fall into the laps of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch would be a major draft-altering development.
"I believe he's kind of a generational talent," Young continued. "And that's more than just how he throws the football. It's just his demeanor and his capability, even though he's younger. I just really believe in the kid."
Young added: "No question, [Wilson] would be first choice, by far."
In speaking with some of the Jets' coaches, Young believes Robert Saleh and company are committed to Wilson, so none of this may matter. However, it is evident that the former NFL quarterback sees a significant talent gap between Wilson and the quarterbacks expected to be drafted after him. And with four weeks remaining until the draft, who knows what might happen?
You can listen to the entire conversation with Young below.
