2021 NFL Draft: Three-round 2021 NFL mock draft with top 10 surprises
2021 NFL Draft: Round 1, 8th Overall
QB. BYU. 8. Pick Analysis. Zach Wilson. player. 42. Scouting Report
The San Francisco 49ers can pretend that Jimmy Garoppolo is the right guy to lead them into the future all they want, but the truth is that he is not. If the 49ers find themselves in a position to land one of the top four quarterbacks in the 2021 NFL Draft class, they must pounce. Here, they snag BYU quarterback Zach Wilson who feels like an absolutely perfect fit.
Wilson is having a monster season at BYU and could easily end up being a top-five pick next April. He is a dynamic playmaker with the ball in his hands who does a fantastic job of improvising and making plays on the run. He does not have the biggest arm in the class, but he can hit all of the necessary throws and typically does so with great anticipation and accuracy. I also like when Wilson can get creative and change his arm angle if needed.
Wilson also shows impressive decision-making, understanding where and when to hit his receivers. He does a nice job of putting his passes out in front of the receiver, allowing them to pick up extra yardage after the catch. Wilson is also a strong athlete who can improvise and make plays with his legs. He is not an elite runner, but he has plenty of speed to escape and create on the run if needed.
Kyle Shanahan is an impressive offensive coach who is going to put points on the board pretty much no matter who he has under center. However, if you give Shanahan a player like Wilson to work with, the sky is the limit. The pairing of Wilson and San Francisco would be absolutely perfect and incredibly exciting. This is something that we should all be rooting for to happen.