The 49ers added a quarterback to the growing list of players they’re meeting with ahead of the NFL draft. NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero on Monday said North Texas quarterback Mason Fine has talked with the 49ers among a couple other teams including the Saints. Fine has shown in a video on NFL Network working out with Drew Brees.
This isn’t a situation where the 49ers are aiming to track down their quarterback of the future. Pelissero noted Fine is among a group of signal callers that will either go undrafted or land with a team late on Day 3 of the draft.
Production isn’t a problem for Fine, who threw for 12,505 yards, 93 touchdowns and 34 interceptions in college while completing 62.8 percent of his throws. His wealth of experience and good statistical output should help him garner some attention from NFL teams.
The big knock keeping Fine from climbing up draft boards is his size. He measured in at just 5-11, 190 pounds. That’s very slight for a quarterback. Most quarterbacks around the 6-foot mark are well over 200 pounds. His stature may keep him from ever being a long-term starter due to the game-in-game-out punishment that can come at that position even in an NFL that aims to limit contact with the quarterback.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote that arm strength is an issue for Fine, but he makes up for it with good touch and ball placement. Knowing where to go with the football is key in the 49ers’ offense, and if they believe Fine can develop into a backup capable of making a spot start or two, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them use a late pick on him with both CJ Beathard and Nick Mullens set to hit free agency after this season.
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