49ers fans won't find out for sure who their team will be taking at pick three in the 2021 NFL Draft until just after the first round begins on 5 p.m. PT on Thursday. Regardless, NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport believes there is currently a frontrunner for the distinction and that many around the league would be surprised if that frontrunner doesn't turn out to be former Alabama quarterback Mac Jones.
Rapoport spoke recently about what he's hearing regarding pick three with 49ers senior reporter Keiana Martin. Among the tidbits he shared was his belief that a frontrunner exists and that the team would like to make sure everyone in the building is happy with the pick before making the final call.
"My understanding was there was a leader in the clubhouse and this process has been about making absolutely sure everyone is consistently on board with 'This is the guy,'" Rapoport said. "So they really should know probably pretty surely 'Is this the guy?' I think what the 49ers are going to spend the next (few) days doing is getting 100 percent sure."
Later in the interview, Rapoport told Martin that the common opinion around the league is that Jones will be the pick.
"Based on the people I'm speaking with, the other NFL teams right around that spot, the teams who think they know, I would say most people believe Mac Jones is the guy mostly because he's got a photographic memory and the Shanahan love for Mac Jones has not exactly been hidden," Rapoport said. "If they take someone else it would be a nice surprise, I think a surprise to a lot of people. But it certainly does seem like publicly, Mac Jones is the guy that many people believe the 49ers should take."
Whether it's Jones, Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, or North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance, Rapoport believes the 49ers will need to pick someone who can handle the complexities that come with playing for 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.
"You can talk about different characteristics, 40 time and mobility and everything -- finding someone who is extremely smart, with a great mind, someone who can match Kyle's wits I think is essential to this quarterback pick regardless to what other physical attributes there are," Rapoport said.
Rapoport also dove into what happened at Lance's recent pro day, while also touching on what needs (if any) the 49ers should address in the later rounds of the draft. Watch the full interview below:
Javon Hargrave: 49ers-Eagles would have been a different game with a healthy Brock Purdy
By David Bonilla
Mar 17
Everything changed in the NFC Championship Game when quarterback Brock Purdy exited early with an injury. He eventually returned because his backup, Josh Johnson, exited with a concussion. Purdy could not throw, though. He suffered a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow, leaving the San Francisco 49ers to become one-dimensional, abandoning the pass and depending solely on the run game.
For fans, it was a difficult game to watch. Everyone anticipated a more evenly matched battle between the two best teams in the NFC. Instead, they got an Eagles powerhouse defense going against a limping 49ers offense.
"We kind of knew it was going to be different when all you can do is run the ball," former Eagles defensive tackle Javon Hargrave said
Jason Kelce: 49ers adding Javon Hargrave "not going to make it any easier" for Eagles
By David Bonilla
Mar 19
Adding Javon Hargrave was a huge (and shocking) addition by the San Francisco 49ers. While it seems like a perfect fit and addresses a significant team need, no one saw it coming. The Niners didn't have considerable salary cap space, so signing Hargrave to a four-year, $84 million deal was unexpected.
The former Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle, nicknamed "Grave Digger," joins a defensive line that includes NFL Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead, bolstering the middle of that unit.
One of the defender's former teammates is happy for Hargrave and his financial good fortune. However, he also knows the loss could be problematic for the defending NFC champions in the upcoming season.
"I'm happy for my man, Grave Digger," Eagles
Podcast: 49ers with Grant Cohn: Are the 49ers the favorites in the NFC with Trey Lance?
By Rohan Chakravarthi
Mar 24
Rohan Chakravarthi and Grant Cohn discuss whether the 49ers are favorites in the NFC after free agency.
The audio for the show is embedded above, while the video is available below.
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You can listen to "The Rohan Chakravarthi Show" from our
49ers considered trading Mike McGlinchey last year
By David Bonilla
Mar 25
Mike McGlinchey received a life-changing payday, signing a five-year, $87.5 million deal with the Denver Broncos. The offensive tackle has known for a while that he would not return to the San Francisco 49ers, the only NFL team he has played for and the one that made him the No. 9 overall pick in 2018.
General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear to McGlinchey that he was likely playing his final months for the team. There was too much money invested in other spots, and the 49ers knew they couldn't compete with other interested teams.
Behind the scenes, Lynch and Shanahan kept McGlinchey in the loop of what the team was thinking, and everything pointed to the tackle playing elsewhere in 2023 … maybe even
