NFL Draft: Redrafting the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft 7. Jared Goff
Originally selected 1st overall (-6)
Jared Goff’s career didn’t go according to plan with the Los Angeles Rams, but that doesn’t mean it would have failed elsewhere. The 49ers were in the running to draft a quarterback in 2016 but would end up settling for DeForest Buckner.
That said, settle may not be a good word, as Buckner would become a great NFL player — just not with San Francisco.
In this redraft scenario, the 49ers would focus on a quarterback. Even though Goff’s career seemed to take a nosedive after his first few years in the league, that doesn’t have to be the case in another area.
For a while, Goff was one of the best quarterbacks in the league, appearing in back-to-back Pro Bowls in 2017 and 2018. Eventually, he would be traded away to the Detroit Lions for Matthew Stafford, but this wasn’t until the collapse of the Rams’ offense came to fruition.
In San Francisco, Goff would have lower expectations as the 7th overall pick and more time to develop. Instead of ending with a trade, he may be able to take the 49ers over the championship hump for the first time in what seems like forever.