The San Francisco 49ers did what everyone hoped they would do. They made the popular choice and picked North Dakota quarterback Trey Lance. And that surprised a lot of people, myself included.
The internet did not burn down. That’s probably what would’ve happened if the 49ers took Alabama quarterback Mac Jones — even though he was the player many (again, myself included) expected San Francisco to take.
During the run up to the draft, the 49ers traded three first-round picks, including the 12th overall pick in 2021, to get up to third overall. That’s where they’d have the choice between Lance, Ohio State’s Justin Fields and Alabama’s Mac Jones. (Everyone knew Trevor Lawrence would go at No. 1 and Zach Wilson would be the second pick.) The 49ers ruled out Fields, with the decision coming down to Jones and Lance in the week leading up to the draft, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Jones was the player Shanahan initially traded up to get, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The 49ers were comfortable taking Jones when they initially made the trade — but they were open to considering their options. Jones became the popular pick in mock drafts from Peter King, Lance Zuerlein, Peter Schrager, Daniel Jeremiah and the biggest genius of them all, Henry McKenna (me). There was backlash around the internet for Jones at 3, with plenty of that criticism coming from site. Many media members didn’t understand why the 49ers would have traded up for a quarterback like Jones, who seemingly would have been available later in the first round — and maybe even at 12th overall.
In fact, some thought the 49ers were putting up a smokescreen, lying about which prospect they wanted (Jones) to help ensure they got the player they actually wanted (Lance). But that didn’t really make sense. The Jaguars and Jets were locked in on their players at Nos. 1 and 2. A smokescreen would be a waste of effort. Who were they trying to deceive? There was no one to trick.
So it’s fair to believe the narrative from Schefter and Rapoport. The 49ers were genuinely considering Lance and Jones. And though Jones had the early lead, Lance — who was only able to play one college season and one game last year, thanks to Covid-19 — ultimately closed the gap and won out as the franchise quarterback for the 49ers. Lance, who has taken the fewest college snaps among all first-round quarterbacks in the last 40 years (318), will get the time he needs to develop as the likely backup for Jimmy Garoppolo. If he develops into the player he has the potential to be, he’ll be a dominant force.
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