The San Francisco 49ers have kept their plans with the No. 3 pick in the NFL draft a closely-guarded secret. While there were once three candidates in the running to go third if Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson were the first two quarterbacks off the board, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport on Sunday reported the choice for the 49ers is down to either Trey Lance or Mac Jones.
The decision will ultimately come down to a choice in styles.
Jones quarterbacked Alabama to a national championship in his first season as a starter. In 2020 he completed 77.4 percent of his 402 throws for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He fits the traditional drop-back passer mold.
Lance was the North Dakota State quarterback in 2019 and went undefeated en route to a national title. That year he didn’t throw an interception and tossed 28 touchdowns while completing 66.9 percent of his 287 passes. He also rushed 169 times for 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground. NDSU’s 2020 season was limited to only one game because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lance is the more modern signal caller who can impact games with his arm for the pocket, while also affecting games with his legs.
The notable absence from the report is Ohio State’s Justin Fields. He is more experienced than both the other two and has a big arm, a ton of athleticism, and a track record of excellent productivity in two years as the starter for the Buckeyes. He is in a similar mold to Lance as big, power-armed quarterbacks with enough athleticism to force teams to defend them on the ground.
It’ll be intriguing to find out the specific explanation for why the 49ers would eliminate Fields from the running. He may be the most pro-ready of the three quarterbacks, and he has experience working with 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.
While Fields is out, Lance and Jones are still very much in. While it stands to reason the team knew who they wanted when they made the trade up, the pre-draft process can change people’s evaluations and opinions. The choice will ultimately come down to Shanahan, and now we know it’s a two-man race with less than a week to go until the draft.
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