Shockwaves reverberated around the NFL last month when the 49ers traded up with the Miami Dolphins to the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. By giving away its first- and third-round picks in 2022, and another first-rounder in 2023, San Francisco made its mega move in upgrading the quarterback room for its foreseeable future.
While the team has maintained a public stance of keeping current quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo for this coming season, this trade signified its dissatisfaction with Garoppolo's services, as the 49ers are expected to select his successor with their third overall pick in the draft at the end of this month.
Most predict that the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New York Jets, who hold the first and second overall picks in this year's draft, will select quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence out of Clemson and Zack Wilson out of BYU. If this comes to pass on April 29, then the top three quarterbacks vying to be drafted by the Niners will be Justin Fields from Ohio State, Mac Jones from Alabama, and
Trey Lance from North Dakota State.
Due to the immense draft capital the 49ers traded away to the Dolphins to move up in the draft, it surely demonstrates that they are taking a huge risk in believing they will draft an amazingly talented franchise quarterback for many years to follow. Why would they select Jones, one might ask — a player who has 17 collegiate starts with only a meager 566 passing attempts?
In addition, Jones has played quarterback for the best team in college football: the Alabama Crimson Tide. Steve Sarkisian's offense possessed one of the best offensive lines in 2020, led by center Landon Dickerson. It also featured dynamic weapons for Jones to utilize in running back Najee Harris and wide receivers Devonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle, both of whom are considered elite first-round locks in the upcoming draft.
On top of this, Jones was able to rely upon an outstanding Nick Saban defense, with players like cornerback Patrick Surtain II putting opposing teams under pressure and regularly putting Jones and their offense back on the football field. Jones, seated at the wheel of a Ferrari during his 17 starts and with an elite scheme and players around him, made being the quarterback of the Crimson Tide a simpler job when compared to other quarterbacks in this draft.
Jones does not have the elite arm talent or the arm strength of Lance or Fields. Both Fields and Lance have gunslinging arms and are also dynamic and powerful runners through either designed run plays or while extending plays with their legs when the pocket or play collapses. In the modern-day NFL game, the mobile quarterback has developed into a nightmare matchup for opposing defenses due to his ability to become a dual-threat through pocket passing and also running and scrambling away from pressure for significant yardage. Cardinals quarterback
Kyler Murray and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson are examples of the modern-day, mobile quarterback and the damage he can cause.
Jones does not possess the elite physical traits of Fields and Lance, either. With a weaker, average arm and little threat with his legs, he is a traditional pure pocket passer and does not regularly demonstrate abilities to extend plays through off-platform improvising or scrambling for yardage when his pocket collapses, in the style that both Fields and Lance do. This leads to an opinion that Jones wields a high floor and, thus, a lower ceiling compared to Lance and Fields, who both have incredible physical gifts with their great arm talents and fantastic running abilities.
For the 49ers to mortgage three first-round picks for their future quarterback, they should look and scout in their projections for the player with the most talent and ability, and for me, Fields and Lance possess that in abundance over Jones.
Jones threw 41 touchdowns with only four interceptions and had 4,500 passing yards in his 17 collegiate starts. Lance had 28 touchdowns with zero picks in 2019 and threw for 2,786 passing yards, with 14 rushing touchdowns. He had just one start in 2020 due to COVID and threw for 149 passing yards with two touchdowns and his first collegiate interception. Meanwhile, Fields threw 63 touchdowns in his two years as a starter, with nine interceptions and 5,373 passing yards. He also combined for 15 rushing touchdowns across those 22 collegiate starts.
When comparing these three quarterbacks' stats, the traits that become apparent on film are embellished within these numbers. While Mac Jones boasted the most passing yards, you must add context and compensate for his stellar receiving corps. However, it shows how he is an excellent pocket passer who throws with great anticipation and accuracy. Nevertheless, both Fields and Lance have 15 and 14 rushing touchdowns, respectively, in addition to their passing touchdowns. This, too, shows how dynamic and effective players they both are through their dual-threat capabilities.
While it will take a couple of years in the league to clearly see who is the best NFL quarterback out of these rookies, I believe that the 49ers should lean towards the high upsides of both Fields and Lance. The new style of the league dictates the selection of one of these dynamic dual-threat, playmaking quarterbacks, and under Kyle Shanahan's coaching, the sky is the limit for Fields and Lance and their elite physical gifts. While Jones is accurate, he simply cannot warrant the draft capital mortgaged by San Francisco to draft him, and his high floor is incomparable to the talents of Fields and Lance.
You can coach decision-making, anticipation, footwork, and other quarterback mechanics. You can improve accuracy, timing, and reading the defenses. But you cannot coach elite speed, high-end arm talent, and arm strength, and also the physical size and power that come with both Fields and Lance. This is why the 49ers should not select Jones with the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
We will find out, come draft day, whom Shanahan chooses to be his cherry-picked quarterback of the future. Will he go with the traditional immobile pocket passer in Jones? Or will he go for one of the dual-threat playmakers in Fields or Lance?
All shall be revealed on April 29.
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Anthony Pettus
I think Lawrence gets too big a pass, he isn't perfect. If he was he would've won the championship this year. Fields lost the ultimate championship and and is given a demerit for it but not Lawrence who is the golden boy. This kind of thing happens every year which is why it's hard to take seriously much of the pundits' opinions.
Apr 9, 2021 at 12:14 PM
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Daniners
"Response: I am not being one sided. I like Mac Jones as a player - he is smart and protects the football and does have excellent completion % and a beautiful deep ball. I like him. But to give up 3 1st round picks for him? That's why I am not sure. For me, a Fields or Lance offers more potential for that draft capital"
No one cares or remembers what you gave up if he Jones or any QB ends up being Matt Ryan. First, first round picks are so overvalued. Most teams, build there teams from rd 2-5, not rd 1. Round 1, is for the media and us. The hit rate, I bet it's about 30% on all first round picks. We've been flat awful, but most teams aren't much better. Again, the safest, best QB not named Lawrence or Wilson is Jones. Tape don't lie! His is the best I've seen since burrows (and burrows had arguably MORE talent). He just looks dorky and that's why all you young bucks who argue LeBron over Jordan, don't know shasta!
Apr 8, 2021 at 1:53 PM
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Sean
I think Fields should be the 49ers pick and I think he will be. Mac will be great on a pass centric team that builds it's O line for pass protection first. This is not how the 49ers build their O line.
Shanahan is a run first guy and run blockers are prioritized. I've watched fans cry year after year that they need to protect the QB but being a good pass blocker is just a bonus for Kyle. McGlinchey is a perfect example of this, he's the number 2 run blocker behind Trent Williams. Williams happens to be great at pass pro and he gets paid for it but McGlinchey has received tons of criticism for his lack of pass protection. Yet he remains a starter.
Shanahan wants all the things that people mention when they talk about a smart accurate pocket passer like Mac. But he's not willing to build the pass protection to make the QB excel at pocket passing because it would compromise his run game. So the compromise has to be a QB that is not only a good pocket passer but one that can extend plays with his arm and his legs outside of the pocket. A QB that can punish a team for stacking the box, over commiting to a blitz, or playing prevent. Fields is that guy. Lance might be that guy.
Apr 8, 2021 at 1:27 PM
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Gabriel Urquidez
Niners screwed up. They should have traded for Sam Darnold. It would have been cheaper and you know what you are getting. I think this draft is easily going to be an "uh oh" draft years from now. There is only one franchise QB at that is the kid from Clemson. The rest are serious reaches. However there are some serious game changers in this draft.
1. Lawrence.
2. Sewell - this is an All-Pro left tackle. People I'll be kicking themselves for not drafting him.
3. Chase - an outstanding WR from LSU.
Apr 8, 2021 at 11:15 AM
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Matt
To me, Justin Fields is similar to Collin Kaepernick. Big strong guy who can run but is somewhat of a long strider and faster than quick. Big arm, but a slow release with a windup. If that is what you want, great. Kaepernick succeeded in Greg Roman's offense, but struggled mightily after that. Fields is not Russell Wilson or Kyler Murray. Those guys are quick and better at evading the rush. Fields can make something out of a broken play, but too often he was the one who broke the play in the first place.
Trey Lance is a better prospect for a pro offense than Fields, from what I have seen. His release is much quicker and he gets similar velocity on the ball as Fields, but with a more compact throwing motion. He ran a pro style offense, but it was definitely a run first offense. Lance might have run the QB draw more often than he threw a pass. When he did throw, it was mostly to wide open receivers schemed open by the run game. There are very few examples of him fitting the ball in tight windows. He did what he was asked to do very well and made big plays with his feet, but it's a massive projection to see if he can do what an NFL QB needs to do to be successful.
Apr 8, 2021 at 10:17 AM
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Joe M
Would you rather have Russell Wilson or Tom Brady? Can Newton/RG3/Lamar Jackson or Peyton Manning?
Apr 8, 2021 at 10:17 AM
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Gene
Racism is still real. For one if Justin Feilds was white with blonde hair he would be first pick period. I know this first hand, I have son who plays QB in college, and had go to HBCU just to get an opportunity to play QB! Schools wanted his to change positions like Trey Lance. My son 6'3" 215 can make every throw and can run! The problem is that many decisions makers believe that white QBs are smarter or even worse that's what they prefer. So, the black QBs have to be twice as good just to get the same opportunity! Bottom line Mac Jones is the biggest risk, simply because he the weakest prospect !!!!
Apr 8, 2021 at 8:53 AM
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The Ghost
You silly Journalism majors breaking down for us how the " new modern day quarterback " is necessary to win in the modern day NFL. Like I've always said ( and I've seen absolutely nothing to change my mind so far ) , one read , take off running qbs may beat average teams but will never win a super bowl. AND ISNT THIS THE WHOLE DAMN GOAL? Lamar Jackson sucks . There . I said it . Mike Vick sucks. Never won squat . Kyler Murray will never win the championship . You know who does win ? Accurate , smart , tough guys who can hang in the pocket and take shots to the face and put the ball in a window the size of a shoebox . Stop pushing the false narrative Griff. You can be better than this.
Apr 8, 2021 at 8:19 AM
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Daniners
I love watching all you writers panicking and tossing out one-sided arguments against Mac Jones. Chris Simms mentioned this on his podcast, you want to debate Jones, then don't come having already made up your mind. Come with pros and cons of each. If you do that, you will end up at Mac Jones be the least risky, most prepared QB outside of Lawrence and Wilson. Also, your point about teaching accuracy and decision-making at the next level is wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Rarely, does that happen going from college to pros. Very hard to teach accuracy. Generally, if you don't have it, it doesn't get markedly better. Josh Allen is and was an anomaly. It took him 3 years and most ppl thought he was a bust prior to last year. It never happened for Trubisky. Fields and Lance are tremendous college players with high upside. Jones is already developed. Highest completion % against blitz, reads defenses extremely well, highly accurate, and moves through progressions quickly. Jones is better a athlete than you guys give him credit for. Excellent tennis player (as was Brees). Athletically better than probably 70% of the QBs who have won the last 30 SBs (almost all pocket passer and HOFs).
Apr 8, 2021 at 7:38 AM
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Harry
Mac Jones played only 17 games, but played all those games at a very high level. If that's not enough games, why not criticize Lance for playing only 17 games (16 games in 2019 and only one game in 2020), and he played against inferior competition? Yes, Jones had great players, but he still had to throw and get the ball to the receivers or backs. In many cases, Jones made his receivers look good. The balls were so perfectly thrown. They're catchable, like the balls thrown by Russell Wilson. Jones's accuracy, footwork in the pocket, and quick mental processing make up for him not having to run as much, and allow for him to go through all the progressions. His throws leave his hand in about two seconds. And he's not a one-read and run type quarterback, like Fields and Lance. Yes, they are great runners. Running quarterbacks make themselves prone to injury. Think RG3. The 49ers do not need to draft the second coming of either RG3, Dwayne Haskins, JaMarcus Russell, or Colin Kaepernick, all big and mobile. Yet, that's what you and every draft expert are suggesting. No, the 49ers need a quarterback who can be relied upon to throw with accuracy and mentally process quickly.
Apr 8, 2021 at 7:10 AM
Brock Purdy is trending towards being the Week 1 starter for the San Francisco 49ers when they open their season at Acrisure Stadium against the Pittsburgh Steelers—and Purdy isn't even practicing yet. The second-year player is still recovering from his March 10 surgery to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow and may not get on the practice field until late August.
That leaves third-year quarterback Trey Lance to compete with another former No. 3 overall pick, Sam Darnold, for the QB2 job and maybe the Week 1 starter should there be any setbacks in Purdy's recovery. Lance started the 2022 season as the 49ers' starting quarterback but suffered
The San Francisco 49ers are entangled in yet another quarterback controversy, with Brock Purdy at the forefront of the talk due to a UCL injury that he sustained during the team's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Given the rarity of the injury to a quarterback in the NFL, the 49ers have stressed caution on Purdy's recovery timetable, while expressing optimism about his return by the beginning of the season.
Speaking with former NFL offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, respected sports medicine doctor Jess Flynn, who has worked with NFL teams, shared that the 49ers should expect Purdy to return to his former self once back from injury.
"When he does come back, studies show that you should expect a similar level of play compared to before the
Over the offseason, there has been significant talk surrounding the San Francisco 49ers and their quarterbacks, especially after the team signed Sam Darnold in free agency, providing them three capable options with starting experience in the former Carolina Panther, Brock Purdy, and Trey Lance.
Purdy is evidently the leader in the clubhouse, as stated by general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan several times this offseason, but many have pointed out his flaws, such as the inability to make throws downfield, as a reason why one of the other quarterbacks could win over the starting job with a strong performance in organized team activities(OTAs) and training camp.
What do the 49ers believe about Purdy's downfield ability?
General manager
According to head coach Kyle Shanahan, the San Francisco 49ers have not discussed a potential trade with quarterback Trey Lance. That shouldn't surprise anyone, but the coach was asked about trade discussions after Tuesday's practice.
Second-year quarterback Brock Purdy is trending well in his recovery from surgery to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow. He is doing some limited throwing about three times a week and will ramp up his workload in the coming months.
RELATED: Kyle Shanahan: 49ers QB Brock Purdy throwing 3 times a week, "right on track" with recovery
The 49ers remain optimistic that Purdy
