Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
On Thursday morning, the Los Angeles Rams and the Tennessee Titans announced a
blockbuster trade that gave the Rams the number one overall selection in the NFL Draft later this month. A trade this big was guaranteed to shake up everyone's mock drafts and will definitely change the San Francisco 49ers' draft strategy, given that the top two quarterbacks available, California's
Jared Goff and North Dakota State's
Carson Wentz, will almost certainly be gone by the time they select at number seven.
The good news for Goff fans is that he may still be playing at Levi's Stadium when the 49ers
kick off their 2016 season on September 12. The bad news is that it may be as a member of the visiting Rams.
What this does mean for the 49ers is that the likelihood of an even better non-quarterback talent falling to them increases. So how did this mega-deal impact the mocks of the national media? Here is just a small sample size of the impact as it relates to the 49ers' selection. These analysts and reporters previously had the 49ers selecting a quarterback in the first round.
Will Brinson, CBS Sports
Old Pick: QB Jared Goff, California
New Pick: DE DeForest Buckner, Oregon
Dane Brugler, CBS Sports
Old Pick: QB Jared Goff, California
New Pick: OLB Myles Jack, UCLA
Rob Rang, CBS Sports
Old Pick: QB Jared Goff, California
New Pick: DE DeForest Buckner, Oregon
Sam Monson, Pro Football Focus
Old Pick: QB Carson Wentz, North Dakota State
New Pick: OT Laremy Tunsil, Ole Miss
Chris Burke, Sports Illustrated
Old Pick: QB Jared Goff, California
New Pick: DE Joey Bosa, Ohio State
Jon Ledyard, USA TODAY
Old Pick: QB Jared Goff, California
New Pick: OT Ronnie Stanley, Notre Dame
Here are two that, despite the Rams-Titans trade, still have the 49ers selecting a quarterback in the first round of the NFL Draft.
Jonah Tuls, USA TODAY
Old Pick: QB Jared Goff, California
New Pick: QB Paxton Lynch, Memphis (In his most likely of five scenarios)
Nate Davis, USA TODAY
Old Pick: QB Carson Wentz, North Dakota State
New Pick: QB Paxton Lynch, Memphis (After trading down to 11)
Then there is one that didn't even have the 49ers selecting a quarterback prior to Thursday and now, following the Rams-Titans trade, does have them selecting a new signal caller.
Chad Reuter, NFL.com
Old Pick: OLB Myles Jack, UCLA
New Pick: QB Jared Goff, California
Next week, we will present our updated survey of mock drafts from around the web. After dominating as the 49ers' selection
every week since we have been surveying mock drafts, it will be interesting to see how the quarterback position is impacted by the shift at the top of the draft order.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch were in attendance for Mac Jones' pro day on March 30. It was their first time watching one of their quarterback draft options in-person following the team's trade from No. 12 to the No. 3 spot.
By executing the trade over a month before the start of the draft, Shanahan and Lynch don't have to work in secrecy. It was a point the Niners head coach made during a March 29 press conference.
"When you're sitting at 12 and stuff, I don't want to go to a bunch of quarterback pro days and things like that," Shanahan said. "Now that you move up to three, you don't have to hide as
Justin Wong just released his latest Mock Draft Roundup. The overwhelming favorite projection for the San Francisco 49ers at the No. 3 overall pick is the selection of quarterback Mac Jones of Alabama.
Add NFL Network's Peter Schrager to the list of those following that narrative.
The Good Morning Football host released his own mock draft on Thursday morning, and like most others, it has Trevor Lawrence of Clemson and Zach Wilson of BYU coming off the board with the top two selections. Those predictions seem like
Add yet another mock draft to the pile of those that have the San Francisco 49ers selecting former Alabama quarterback Mac Jones with the No. 3 overall pick over Justin Fields of Ohio State and Trey Lance of North Dakota State. Andrew Erickson of Pro Football Focus has head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch following the narrative created by Chris Simms, Adam Schefter, Daniel Jeremiah, and other national analysts.
That doesn't mean Erickson sees Jones as the better prospect. The projection is just based on what is being heard around the league — not that anyone can say with any certainty what the 49ers plan to do.
"Although I personally don't agree with the selection — Justin Fields would be the better option — Jones still
While the rest of the media believes that the New York Jets drafting quarterback Zach Wilson of BYU to be a near-certainty, Seth Galina of Pro Football Focus doesn't sound too convinced of that. The analyst feels there may be a smokescreen in play, masking New York's true target—Justin Fields of Ohio State.
Galina took a look at the NFC West and created a mock draft for the entire division. In it, he has the Jets taking Fields, and Wilson falling to the No. 3 spot, where San Francisco pounces.
"There is a very real chance that we have been fed and will continue to be fed the proverbial
