The San Francisco 49ers traded up to the No. 3 overall pick to select a quarterback. Whether that player is Mac Jones of Alabama, Justin Fields of Ohio State, or Trey Lance of North Dakota State remains to be seen. While one of those three is the most likely target, the Good Morning Football hosts threw out an intriguing scenario.
What if head coach Kyle Shanahan really wants the player many see as the most intriguing prospect in the draft—tight end Kyle Pitts of Florida? Now, it is important to note that no one is saying this is even a possibility. It just created an interesting discussion point.
When it comes to the three quarterback prospects who will likely be available at No. 3, the least favorite among the fanbase is Jones. Just for fun, we recently asked fans who they would prefer to be the selection—Jones or Pitts—if those were the only two options. The overwhelming favorite was the former Gator.
Just curious...
— 49ers Webzone (@49erswebzone) April 9, 2021
Who would you rather the #49ers draft at No. 3 if these were your only two options?
Peter Schrager pointed out the following tweet from agent Erik Burkhardt. Obviously, this, like all of the Jones-to-49ers chatter, is probably just speculation.
San Fran traded up to take Pitts & pair him with Kittle. Not take a QB.
— Erik Burkhardt (@ErikBurkhardt) April 9, 2021
Kyle sees the chess board differently & knows how difficult this will be to defend. 🕸♟
Of course, there is the issue of what San Francisco surrendered to move into the No. 3 slot. Shanahan and general manager John Lynch gave up the team's first-round picks in each of the next three drafts plus a third-rounder. The move has to be for a quarterback, right?
Yes. That is the most likely scenario.
As much as Schrager admires Pitts as a player, the NFL Network host added: "I can't imagine them trading two future first-round picks, moving up nine spots, for someone who doesn't play quarterback."
However, Kyle Brandt argues that assuming a team wouldn't give up that much draft capital for a non-quarterback shouldn't be so far-fetched.
"You cannot overpay for a Hall of Famer," Brandt said. "And maybe he won't be (that). I don't think you can overpay for an All-Pro, and if Kyle Pitts is that good, and he's the best player in the draft, then go get him, if that's what you think. ... [W]hen you start talking about (Kyle) Juszczyk does this and Deebo (Samuel) does this, I feel like they're in the NFC title game. It will be the most exotic, most unpredictable offense ever. I think I'm way into this.
"Now, I don't deal in what they will do. I'm more of a fact of what they should do, and I think that Kyle Shanahan is capable (of this). He knows what he has in Jimmy (Garoppolo). He knows. None of us knows what he knows, and if he does this, it would be the ultimate deke of all-time, and people will be clutching pearls the next day that you can't do this. It has to be a quarterback.
"And Shanahan will say, 'I can do whatever I want. I know more than you. I know Jimmy better than anyone in the world. I'm looking at this Kyle Pitts guy as the best player on the board, and I want him on my damn team. I don't care what I spend for him. If it doesn't work out and Jimmy keeps getting hurt, oh well. I'll get fired. I'll go back to being a coordinator. I'll get another job.' I like this move."
Brandt adds that if so many want to question the decision to pull off a trade of this magnitude for a tight end, then slap the "wide receiver" label on Pitts.
"Who cares when a tight end was taken," Brandt comments. "What about the best player?"
While Pitts-to-San Francisco is unlikely to happen, and the 49ers remain likely to select a quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick, it was still an interesting discussion.
