Dane Brugler released his latest mock draft for The Athletic, and it goes seven rounds deep. The popular opinion is that the San Francisco 49ers will select former Alabama quarterback Mac Jones at No. 3, and the draft analyst follows that narrative.
"Coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers have seen or are scheduled to see Jones, Justin Fields and Trey Lance throw in person as the organization does due diligence on the top available passers," wrote Brugler. "My initial reaction after San Francisco traded up to No. 3 was Lance, but most of the buzz points to Jones. Ultimately, any of the three quarterbacks could be the pick here and it wouldn't be a surprise."
Of course, the popular choice among fans isn't Jones. It's Fields or even Lance. Both are considered to be better athletes than Jones and are seen as having higher long-term ceilings. However, because this mock spans the entire draft, the first 49ers pick isn't the interesting aspect. Brugler has San Francisco addressing several other areas of need, including cornerback in the second round and bolstering the offensive and defensive lines with later picks.
Brugler has the 49ers adding former Georgia cornerback Eric Stokes with the No. 43 overall pick. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound defender hauled in four interceptions through nine games as a junior in 2020.
San Francisco's next three picks add to the two lines with center Drew Dalman of Stanford's selection in the third round, defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa of UCLA in the fourth round, and guard Royce Newman of Ole Miss in the fifth round. The mock draft also has the team adding edge rusher Patrick Johnson of Tulane with its last selection of the draft — No. 230 overall.
The 49ers' other three selections add offensive skill players in running back Chuba Hubbard of Oklahoma State, another Bruin in wide receiver Demetric Felton of UCLA, and tight end Tony Poljan of Virginia.
Below is a rundown of Brugler's 49ers selection within his seven-round mock draft.
- Rd 1, Pk 3 - Mac Jones, QB, Alabama
- Rd 2, Pk 43 - Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia
- Rd 3, Pk 102 - Drew Dalman, OC, Stanford
- Rd 4, Pk 117 - Osa Odighizuwa, DL, UCLA
- Rd 5, Pk 155 - Royce Newman, OG, Ole Miss
- Rd 5, Pk 172 - Chuba Hubbard, RB, Oklahoma State
- Rd 5, Pk 180 - Demetric Felton, WR, UCLA
- Rd 6, Pk 194 - Tony Poljan, TE, Virginia
- Rd 7, Pk 230 - Patrick Johnson, edge, Tulane