The San Francisco 49ers flipped the 2021 NFL Draft on its head late last week when they made an extremely aggressive move up the board to No. 3. In the deal, the 49ers sent their first-round pick (12th overall), a first- and third-round pick in 2022 and a first-round pick to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for No. 3 overall. This is clearly a major move up the board for a quarterback and the player that they select will reshape the future of this franchise, one way or another.
Only one question remains: Who will the San Francisco 49ers select?
Justin Fields should be in the conversation for the 49ers at No. 3 but his stock seems to be slipping. Based on whispers from plugged-in people in the media, this pick appears to be between Trey Lance out of North Dakota State and Mac Jones out of Alabama.
The appeal of Lance is obvious. He has arguably the best natural arm talent in the entire class and pairs that with obvious upside as a rusher. While Lance has limited college experience and all of that experience comes from the FCS level, he ran a well-structured offense at North Dakota State extremely well. He shows the ability to play within the structure of an offense and can also improvise when needed. Lance is a perfect fit for the modern NFL and undoubtedly has massive upside at the next level.
Jones does not have the physical skill-set of a guy like Lance. However, he was absolutely tremendous at Alabama last season, spreading the ball around the field with precise accuracy on a consistent basis. He is an extremely smart and accurate quarterback who can lead a team to success if he has the right pieces around him.
However, Jones’ lack of athleticism makes him a less than ideal fit for the modern NFL. It is certainly fair to question Jones’ upside as a starting quarterback at the next level. That being said, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has had success with players who have a similar playing style to Jones. It is easy to see Shanahan liking Jones as a prospect.
In this seven-round mock draft for the San Francisco 49ers, we will look to answer the big question at the top and also find value for the team throughout the process. Will it be Jones or Lance at No. 3?
Note: This mock draft was completed using The Draft Network’s Mock Draft Machine.
San Francisco 49ers mock draft: Round 1, 3rd overall
Maybe Mac Jones reminds Kyle Shanahan of Matt Ryan and that is exactly what he wants at the quarterback position. If they select Jones, Shanahan clearly sees him as a guy who he can consistently trust on the field to make the right decision and the organization believes that they have enough talent around to prop up their quarterback.
That being said, I just cannot see a smart organization like the San Francisco 49ers investing so much draft capital in a quarterback who has such a limited ceiling. This pick should be made with the intention of raising their ceiling as a Super Bowl contender. Mac Jones feels like a younger version of Jimmy Garoppolo. Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson are widely expected to go first and second in the 2021 NFL Draft. If Fields is not an option, then Trey Lance should be the guy.
Lance’s ability as a dual-threat player is consistently impressive. He has a big arm and shows good accuracy to all levels of the field. Lance is also a powerful and explosive runner who can come in and immediately create with his legs at the next level. The jump from FCS to the NFL is massive but Lance is a smart and disciplined player who can grow into what Shanahan wants at the quarterback position and still bring that athletic upside.
If Shanahan and company do not feel like Lance is ready, they could easily move forward with Garoppolo as their starting quarterback next season. When Lance is up to speed and ready to roll, the 49ers would immediately become one of the most dangerous teams in the entire NFL.
San Francisco 49ers mock draft: Round 2, 43rd overall
The San Francisco 49ers do not have any long-term players at the cornerback position. Emmanuel Moseley is under contract through the 2022 season, but all of their other players at the position are only on one-year deals. If the right opportunity presents itself, the 49ers must attack their need at cornerback.
In the second round of this mock draft, the 49ers find that opportunity by bringing in Ifeatu Melifonwu. Melifonwu is a big and long cornerback prospect who shines in press coverage. He is physical at the line of scrimmage, moves extremely well for a player of his size and attacks the ball in the air well.
In Melifonwu, the San Francisco 49ers find themselves an extremely gifted player who would provide immediate and long-term value.
San Francisco 49ers mock draft: Round 3, 102nd overall
After bringing back Trent Williams, offensive tackle does not stand out as a major position of need for the 49ers. That being said, right tackle Mike McGlinchey has been far from perfect and the team has a tough fifth-year option decision to make on him soon. Adding someone to the mix who could potentially replace McGlinchey after this coming season would certainly make sense.
D’Ante Smith is an extremely athletic offensive tackle prospect who has obvious upside at the next level. He is a smooth pass protector who gets into his pass sets quickly and knows how to use his long arms to his advantage. Smith also shows great mobility in the run game, attacking the second level extremely well. Smith’s mobility makes him an obvious fit for the 49ers’ wide zone offensive attack. Simply put, he is a high upside player who fits the team well. Strong value here too.
San Francisco 49ers mock draft: Round 4, 117th overall
Talanoa Hufanga is an extremely smart and aggressive safety prospect who shines when attacking downhill. He is a tough and physical in-the-box defender who shows incredible range from the safety position and is an extremely reliable tackler in space.
Hufanga lacks ideal coverage ability at this point in his career but he is a smart and athletic player who undoubtedly has nice upside at the next level. At worst, Hufanga would bring immediate value on special teams. On top of that, he has obvious upside on the defensive side of the ball.
San Francisco 49ers mock draft: Round 5, 155th overall
Elerson Smith is a long and athletic edge rusher who undoubtedly has exciting upside at the next level. While he is a bit of a raw talent, Smith’s explosive first step and long limbs allow him to create consistent pressure on the edge.
He could not be counted on to make an immediate impact but Smith is undoubtedly an exciting player who could grow into an impact edge rusher. The San Francisco 49ers swing for the fences here at an extremely important position.
San Francisco 49ers mock draft: Round 5, 172nd overall
The 49ers heavily value run after catch ability at the wide receiver position. Kyle Shanahan does a great job of scheming space for his offensive playmakers and is always looking for players who can create once the ball is in their hands. Marlon Williams stands out as a great fit for the team in this range.
Marlon Williams is a big and physical receiver who shines in contested catch situations. He is a tough player who works through traffic well and most importantly, showing explosive playmaking ability after the catch. Williams is an exciting playmaker who could quickly become an important player for the 49ers on the offensive side of the ball.
San Francisco 49ers mock draft: Round 5, 180th overall
Jack Anderson is not the most athletically gifted offensive lineman around but he is an extremely hard-working player who consistently gets the most out of his ability. Anderson is quick off of the ball and physical at the point of attack. He works hard to hit his spots at all times and has enough mobility to hold his own in the 49ers’ zone-blocking scheme.
Anderson is a particularly impressive pass protector on the inside and could quickly grow into an impact player for the team up front. The Interior offensive line stands out as an obvious need for the San Francisco 49ers and Anderson is a nice value pick in this range.
San Francisco 49ers mock draft: Round 6, 194th overall
Jermar Jefferson has struggled with ankle injuries in recent years and it has seemingly hurt his explosive athleticism at the running back position. While Jefferson lacks ideal burst at the running back position, he is a quick and shifty player who hits the hole quickly and can make defenders miss in space.
Jefferson also displays fantastic natural ball carrier vision. He sees the hole in an instant and does a great job of setting up defenders when deciding where to attack. Jefferson shines as a zone rusher and could be a major steal for a zone-heavy team like the 49ers in this range.
San Francisco 49ers: Round 7, 230th overall
With their final pick of this mock draft, the 49ers make another addition at the cornerback position. Robert Rochell is a long and athletic cornerback prospect who shows impressive press ability at the line of scrimmage. He is a converted wide receiver who attacks the ball in the air extremely well and undoubtedly has the athletic upside to grow into a solid outside cornerback at the next level.