It may sound like Mac Jones of Alabama is headed to the San Francisco 49ers with the No. 3 overall pick, but at least one NFL Media analyst isn't buying it and has the team going in another direction. Bucky Brooks released his latest mock draft and has Trey Lance headed to the Bay Area.
"The North Dakota State product gives Kyle Shanahan a raw -- but talented -- dual-threat playmaker who has tremendous upside," wrote Brooks in his brief analysis of the pick.
As expected, Brooks has the first two selections being Trevor Lawrence to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Zach Wilson to the New York Jets. The Lance selection means quarterbacks in the three top picks and five selected in the top-20.
What of the other two prospects considered to be among this draft class' top quarterbacks? Brooks has Justin Fields of Ohio State falling to the New England Patriots at No. 15, and the Washington Football Team selecting Jones at No. 19.
Right now, Jones remains the betting favorite to be selected at No. 3 overall. Lance has the second-best odds. Fields' stock fell when Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported on Sunday night that San Francisco had narrowed its choice down to Jones versus Lance, potentially eliminating Fields from the running.
Since trading a haul of future draft picks to move up nine spots from the No. 12 slot, the 49ers have spent a month evaluating the three prospects.
"Yeah, we probably started with one in mind, but that one's gotten better since, and so have all of the other candidates," Shanahan told reporters on Monday. "So, do we know exactly who we want? Maybe, probably, but maybe not. I don't feel like we need to say that, and that's not just for our case, but lots of stuff happens between now and the draft, and we don't want the whole league knowing exactly what you're set on four days before the draft."
The 2021 NFL Draft begins on Thursday night from Cleveland, Ohio.