2021 49ers mock draft 2.0
Thanks to certainty of the Jaguars selecting Trevor Lawrence and the Sam Darnold trade locking up the Jets grabbing Zach Wilson, the draft now really starts with the 49ers at the third pick. In what was essentially a 3-team trade, the 49ers toppled all previous mock drafts and triggered a speculation frenzy about which of the 3 QBs they would choose. With each passing pro day, this debate has only intensified.
In our 49ers mock draft 2.0 we project them to take Alabama quarterback Mac Jones with the 3rd pick.
San Francisco bet the future on bringing in a QB to win now, not to be ready to play in a couple of years. This rules out the possibility that their pick is Trey Lance. Kyle Shanahan’s offense requires quick decision making, accuracy, and play action between the tackles. Many point to Mahomes’ performance in the Super Bowl as to why Shanahan would want to get a mobile QB of his own, but let’s not forget that if Garoppolo makes one or two open throws, they’d have a ring and not Kansas City. Mac Jones is their guy and they’ll be looking to trade Garoppolo prior to the season.
With it pretty clear that the 49ers made this move to begin 2021 with a new starting QB, the debate now seems focused on Mac Jones or Justin Fields. Fields brings an element to the game that the 49ers haven’t had with Garoppolo and will not get form Mac Jones, explosive mobility. As the rest of the league seems to prioritize this trait, it appears likely that Kyle Shanahan doesn’t value it as highly and instead focuses more on accuracy and decision making. Although many, including myself, would take Justin Fields with this pick, we do project that the 49ers traded up to get Mac Jones.
The 49ers got their QB in the first round of this mock draft, and now they will turn their attention back to defense. It appears like Richard Sherman will be with another team in 2021, so they will need to add depth to this position. Newsome is an interesting player in this draft as he is ranked from 2nd to 5th in many popular big boards at his position, so this might be a steal for them here.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe 49ers could have sacrificed this pick to get up to the 3rd overall pick, but they did not. They knew that this pick would be needed to acquire a valuable piece that will help them win in 2021 and cornerback seems the most likely position. Greg Newsome, if still available, would be their answer to division receivers like DK Metcalf and Deandre Hopkins. At 6-1 and 109 pounds, Newsome is lengthy enough to play physical press but also has the speed and coverage skills to play in a zone scheme. He had a great year in 2020 and was able to follow this up with a just as impressive Pro Day. With a healthy Nick Bosa returning, this 49ers defense could be in excellent position to return to 2019 form when they made it to the Super Bowl.
In our 49ers mock draft 2.0, they now have their number one corner in Greg Newsome and even a new starting QB in Mac Jones. Although many will criticize their first pick spent on Mac Jones, it’s tough to argue that it’s not a very successful draft when you take your franchise QB and a number one corner for a team that is definitely among the favorites to win the NFC in 2021.
