Justin Fields, Mac Jones, or Trey Lance? That was the question for about a month leading to the 2021 NFL Draft. Which of those quarterbacks did the San Francisco 49ers trade a haul of future draft capital to move up to get?
It ended up being Lance. However, for a while, many felt Fields might be the pick. The Chicago Bears ended up drafting Fields at No. 11 overall after the 49ers passed on the quarterback. Jones went to the New England Patriots four selections later.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan did a lot of homework on Fields through the draft process, though. While the 49ers claim that Lance is the player who prompted the trade, the team wanted to do its due diligence on all of the options.
On Sunday, Fields will look to knock off the 49ers when they visit Soldier Field.
"I enjoyed watching him throughout college," Shanahan told NBC Sports Bay Area this week when asked about the Bears' rookie quarterback. "I enjoyed really getting to know him throughout the draft process. He's a great person, really smart, hard worker. He's definitely super talented, and you can see it on tape."
Fields has had his ups and downs this season. There have been a lot of downs. That's to be expected when a rookie quarterback is asked to help carry an offense. Fields' pass rating of 61.8 ranks No. 34 in the NFL. His 22 sacks lead the league.
"You get thrown out there, it's hard for all rookies," Shanahan explained. "And I know he had a tough time in his first game, but you've seen the guy persevere. You've seen him get better each week. I know their numbers aren't great just as a whole offense, but they're running the ball pretty good, and they can throw that deep ball. And they've got three receivers who can run and get down the field.
"He's going to get better each week, and I'd much rather play those guys the first week because, you know, with his ability, with the type of person he is, he can keep getting better, but I hope it's not this week."
John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan discuss the 49ers drafting Ricky Pearsall
By Site Staff
5 hrs
The San Francisco 49ers selected former Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall with the No. 31 overall pick. General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke after the selection. Here is everything they had to say.
Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
Opening Comments:
John Lynch: "You guys have fun? Yeah. Long day. Long day. Excited about our pick. Go ahead. Shoot."
Just the rationale. Why did you pick him? You guys have a lot of needs and what made you guys focus in on him?
JL: "We know we do well when we have consensus in our group. And that's from scouting, coaching, R&D, and we really had that with [WR] Ricky [Pearsall]. He's a guy who,
Breaking down the 49ers drafts under John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan
By Marc Adams
Apr 20
We are less than one week away from the NFL Draft, and the San Francisco 49ers have their first day-one draft pick since 2021. That was the year they selected QB Trey Lance number three overall. The trade-up to get Lance cost the 49ers their first-round picks in 2022 and 2023. And now that they are back in the first round, at pick 31, fans are anxious to see what the team does with the pick. And with former assistant GM, Adam Peters, now in Washington, it will be interesting to see how well the 49ers draft without Peters in the room.
We looked back at the seven drafts GM John Lynch and Head Coach Kyle Shanahan have led to see what information we could pull from those drafts. There were plenty of hits, plenty of misses, and a few surprises along the way. The draft picks are
49ers Flashback: Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch react to drafting Brandon Aiyuk
By David Bonilla
20 hrs
In 2020, the San Francisco 49ers traded up from the No. 31 overall pick to the No. 25 spot with their sights set on a wide receiver brimming with potential. It was the first year of COVID, so NFL teams conducted their drafts remotely, providing fans with a unique glimpse into team decision-makers' makeshift home war rooms.
Almost immediately after Aiyuk heard his name called, fans caught a glimpse of the reactions from head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.
In honor of Draft Day, let's throw it back to Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch's reaction to drafting Brandon Aiyuk
Lynch and Shanahan discuss implications of drafting Pearsall on 49ers' Aiyuk and Samuel
By David Bonilla
6 hrs
The San Francisco 49ers made a surprising move with the No. 31 overall pick, marking their first Round 1 selection since 2021. While speculation swirled around the possibility of drafting a wide receiver, few anticipated the choice of Ricky Pearsall from Florida.
Leading up to the pick, there was widespread speculation that the 49ers might trade wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel. As the first round progressed, it appeared that neither would be moved. Pearsall's selection reignited such discussions.
General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke to Bay Area radio station KNBR following the completion of the first round, fielding questions about the implications of Pearsall's selection for the team's veteran wideouts.
"Well,
