Jeremiah has two other quarterbacks coming off the board before the San Francisco 49ers select at No. 12. They are Trey Lance to the Atlanta Falcons at No. 4 and Justin Fields to the Carolina Panthers at No. 8.
So, where does that leave the 49ers? Selecting a tight end, of course. No controversy there, right?
With all of the team's roster needs and nearly 40 players scheduled to become free agents, tight end isn't necessarily seen as one of San Francisco's most-glaring needs entering the draft. Of course, both Jordan Reed and Ross Dwelley are among the many 49ers players slated to be free agents (Reed – unrestricted, Dwelley – restricted), and a lot can change before the draft.
Jeremiah has John Lynch, Kyle Shanahan, and company selecting tight end Kyle Pitts of Florida.
Wrote Jeremiah as he tries to explain his projected 49ers selection:
"Don't freak out, people! I know the Niners already have an elite tight end. However, they have embraced the positionless-player movement and Pitts would team up with George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk to give Kyle Shanahan an embarrassment of riches."
Pitts (6-6, 246) caught 100 passes for 1,492 yards and 18 touchdowns in his three collegiate seasons with the Gators. He hauled in 43 passes for 770 yards with 12 touchdowns as a junior in 2020. Pitts was the recipient of the John Mackey Award, a unanimous All-American selection, and named first-team All-SEC for the second consecutive year.