49ers draft rumors: Mac Jones the target for trading up to No. 3?

The 49ers shocked everyone with the trade up to No. 3 in the 2021 NFL Draft but even more surprising could be the quarterback they moved up to select. 

Few were expecting a weekend one month away from the 2021 NFL Draft to be the moment the San Francisco 49ers made their move at quarterback but that’s what general manager John Lynch did. Rather than dealing for Deshaun Watson or a player already in the league, though, the Niners traded up to the third-overall pick with the Dolphins, giving up two first-round picks to do so.

In the immediate aftermath of the trade, most surmised that the 49ers were targeting Ohio State’s Justin Fields or North Dakota State’s Trey Lance. As it turns out, San Francisco may be ready to shock us even further as they reportedly are honed in on Alabama quarterback and Heisman finalist Mac Jones.

Appearing on The Athletic Football Show, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said the belief around the league was that head coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers had Jones pegged as their guy. Jones entered the year not on anyone’s first-round draft radar but, after a prolific season leading the Crimson Tide to a National Championship, his stock has soared.

Even then, though, few (if anyone) thought he would be a top-five pick and who the 49ers were giving up two first-round picks to trade up for. It should be noted that this is smokescreen season and that San Francisco could be trying to throw teams off the scent. Then again, it would make sense as to why Shanahan would want Jones running his offense.

Mac Jones could run the 49ers offense exactly the way Kyle Shanahan wants.

Jeremiah and podcast host Robert Mays said as much when the analyst gave the report on Jones and the Niners but it should again be iterated that Shanahan likes the type of quarterback the Alabama product is. His offense thrived with Matt Ryan running it in Atlanta and Kirk Cousins made a name for himself in Washington.

While Jones is not the hyper-athletic, super-toolsy players that others in the 2021 draft class are, he might be the most intelligent, most accurate and quickest processor of the group. Shanahan’s offense demands the ball be thrown quickly in the development of the play and with precision. Jones showcased that ability time and again with the Crimson Tide.

Furthermore, that style of offense doesn’t necessarily require the mobility of a player like Fields, Lance, or even Lawrence and Zach Wilson. In fact, you could argue that’s to a quarterback’s detriment in Shanahan’s system. He wants a quick drop, quick diagnosis and a quick throw to the right guy. That’s the environment in which Jones can thrive.

Does that make trading up to No. 3 worth it for the 49ers? Without knowing which other teams were after the Alabama quarterback, it’s hard to say. But if they believe that Jones gives them the best chance to maximize a clear championship window (and that’s who they’re targeting), then San Francisco will undoubtedly tell you the juice was worth the squeeze.