49ers will activate Aldon Smith today

Pro Football Focus released its latest mock draft, courtesy of analyst Ben Linsey. The San Francisco 49ers are highly anticipated to select a quarterback following their recent trade up to the No. 3 spot. They'll have their choice of some good options. With Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson nearly a lock to go No. 1 and No. 2, San Francisco can go with Justin Fields of Ohio State, Trey Lance of North Dakota State, or Mac Jones of Alabama. Linsey has San Francisco going with the player who has been the popular choice among 49ers fans—Fields. "Fields' game has been put under the

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is set to earn about $25 million this year. Whomever they pick at No. 3 overall will have a cap hit of about $6.2 million in 2021, per OverTheCap.com. If the gap between the two players isn't seen as great—and a lot of that may depend on actually getting the rookie into the building and seeing how fast he can progress—that could accelerate the plan to part ways with Garoppolo. Maybe something happens before the draft. Maybe it happens during, after, or even next year. For now, the 49ers sound comfortable keeping Garoppolo around for another season while their rookie quarterback sits and learns. It's a prudent plan considering the roster is built to compete for a championship right now. On Sunday, ESPN's

NBC Sports' Peter King weighed in on Jimmy Garoppolo, his status with the San Francisco 49ers, and his potential future with the New England Patriots, the team the quarterback spent his first three-and-a-half NFL seasons with. First, the 49ers. Count King among those who aren't confident that San Francisco will trade Garoppolo this year. The team has publicly stated that it plans to enter Week 1 with Garoppolo as the starter. Nothing the 49ers do at No. 3 may change that. Head coach Kyle Shanahan seems content with letting a rookie sit and learn for a year, which will be extremely beneficial considering his offense's complexity. Said general manager John Lynch last week:

Mac Jones to the San Francisco 49ers is a done deal, right? That's what every analyst and evaluator would have you believe. Much of that originated from NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms, a close friend of head coach Kyle Shanahan, stating that he believes the 49ers traded up to the No. 3 spot to draft Jones. Shanahan debunked that last week. Not the idea that Jones might be the pick, but that Simms might have some insight into the team's plans. "Trust me, Chris talks about everything," Shanahan said. "Therefore, I haven't been able to talk to him in a couple of years. Anyone who you're friends with who speaks in the media, and people think you're friends with them, that means you're not allowed to tell them anything. That's why he doesn't even ask me stuff. Because