The 49ers made a decision in the 2021 offseason to bet their future on quarterback Trey Lance. They packaged their 2021 first-round pick, along with their first-round choices in 2022 and 2023 to move up to No. 3 overall where they selected the former North Dakota State standout. A 2022 mock draft from our friends at the Draft Wire offered a look at the reality of the selection process for San Francisco over the next couple years.
Given that we’re still a few months out from the 2021 college football season, it’s nearly impossible to project draft positions for most players. Injuries happen, players go back to school, performances on the field can buoy or sink a player’s stock. The 49ers used their lone pick in the Draft Wire two-round projections on Northwestern safety Brandon Joseph.
Safety could certainly be a high priority for the 49ers with Jimmie Ward entering his 30s, Jaquiski Tartt on a one-year deal and Tarvarius Moore dealing with a torn Achilles.
The more jarring thing is that San Francisco’s first pick in the two-round mock doesn’t come until No. 60.
This isn’t a surprise, and picking 60 means the 49ers made the playoffs. Still, after a number of years where the draft was such a vital part of the team’s roster construction, they’ll now be without a first-round pick, and won’t pick in the top 50 if they make it back to the playoffs.
Ultimately how much this impacts San Francisco will depend on Lance’s success. Not picking until the 60s could be crippling if it turns out Lance can’t successfully make the jump to the NFL. It becomes much less perilous if he’s an All-Pro caliber signal caller who makes up for potential shortcomings on the roster.
Regardless, the onus will now be on the front office to work with a bit of a handicap in the draft. They don’t need home runs, but finding a handful of starters in the two drafts without a first-round pick will go a long way toward ensuring they’re putting a quality roster around their young signal caller.
[listicle id=667379]