Lawrence to Wilson: Ranking realistic QB prospects for 49ers
Trevor Lawrence? Not happening. Zach Wilson? Getting warmer. Josh Schrock breaks down the 2021 QB class and who the 49ers can realistically expect to draft.
The 49ers are facing a decision that will define the next five to 10 years of their franchise.
With a loaded roster and one of the best head coaches in the NFL, the 49ers appear primed to be a focus in the Super Bowl conversation for the next handful of years. But that depends on one thing: the quarterback.
Jimmy Garoppolo is an average NFL starter. He can win games when surrounded by talent and is capable of lifting his team to a win every now and then. He also has a ceiling that he hasn't been able to breakthrough and has had a number of injury issues.
The 49ers can cut Garoppolo after this season for little cap penalty. If they choose to do so, they will be stuck in quarterback limbo until they can find a true franchise quarterback.
With the 49ers now at 4-6 and sinking fast due to injuries, the 2021 NFL Draft could present the perfect opportunity for the 49ers to draft their next signal-caller.
The 2021 class has two generational quarterbacks up top in Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields, and a number of solid prospects following them.
Let's break down the 2021 class by how realistic it is that they could be the next quarterback of the 49ers.
Trevor Lawrence is the prize of the draft class. Many scouts believe the Clemson star is the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck entered the draft out of Stanford.
The 6-foot-6 signal-caller does everything well. Size. Check. Athleticism. Check. Arm talent. Check. Lawrence has a quick and efficient release. He's smart at reading defenses and has the confidence to believe he can make any throw.
He'll be the No. 1 pick and looks ticketed to be a New York Jet. He's not in the realm of reality for the 49ers, unless they can hoodwink the Jets into trading the pick.
Never say never with the Jets.
Fields will be the second quarterback off the board and he's a lot closer to Lawrence than most realize.
The Ohio State signal-caller has a rocket arm with the accuracy to zip balls into tight windows. He's got all the traits you want in a franchise quarterback. He's got the physical tools, excels in the RPO game and has shown good accuracy and ball placement on timing routes.
Fields should be a star in the NFL, but like Lawrence, the 49ers will have to find a way to trade up into the top-three to secure him.
With the Jacksonville Jaguars tanking their way to the bottom, it's almost impossible to see Fields heading to Santa Clara.
Lance, 6-foot-3, 224 pounds, is a great athlete with strong arm and a quick release. He throws a great deep ball and is very accurate on short and intermediate throws. He has the velocity to fit balls into tight windows and is an exceptional athlete in the running game.
He will need to work on the finer points of playing quarterback. He isn't great at using his eyes to manipulate defenses and his mechanics and accuracy can get a little wonky at times. There's also a question about the offense he ran at North Dakota State and what he's being coached to do in a system with a lot of half-reads.
In our first rankings, I had Lance at No. 3 but he's been overtaken by the next quarterback on the list.
Lance still is seen as the third- or fourth-best quarterback in the draft, but his lack of games this season could see him slip as guys like Kyle Trask, Mac Jones and Zach Wilson ascend.
I might not believe Trask is a legit NFL starting quarterback, but he's going to do his best to change my mind.
The Heisman frontrunner now has 31 touchdowns and just three interceptions as the Gators continue to dominate their opponents.
Trask never started a game in high school or at the beginning of his college career, but he became the Gators' starter last season after an injury to Feleipe Franks opened the door.
Trask has been a solid college quarterback for the Gators and has had an impressive start to the 2020 season. He's got a crisp over-the-top release which allows him to get the ball out quickly.
However, he doesn't have impressive arm talent. A number of his balls loft, float or die and his receivers often are asked to make great catches on throws that should be routine.
Trask excels on short, quick throws underneath and back-shoulder throws, which sounds a lot like Garoppolo, a guy 49ers fans aren't sold on.
The 49ers will have the chance to draft Trask. I don't think he's their guy, but he's moving up boards everywhere.
I believe Jones might be the type of quarterback Kyle Shanahan is looking for to run his offense.
The Alabama quarterback is super-efficient on short and intermediate throws. He doesn't have the biggest arm, but is a good deep-ball thrower. He is a smart quarterback who knows his limitations. He gets the ball out fast and doesn't make a lot of mistakes. He's good at making little movements in the pocket to buy himself time, but he isn't very mobile.
Jones has the look of a solid NFL prospect, but he only has played in a handful of games as the starter. He should be available in Round 2 if Shanahan likes what he sees. The only question is whether or not there is a ceiling on Jones' potential due to the average arm talent and lack of mobility.
The biggest question marks for Jones will be his lack of experience and lack of mobility.
The next 10 years of the NFL will be owned by dynamic quarterbacks who can make plays with both their arm and legs. Jones doesn't have that skill set, but he is incredibly poised, smart and throws a great deep ball.
I waffled between Jones and Wilson, but for now, I'll rock with the BYU Cougar.
We know the 49ers sent scouts to watch Wilson and they had to have come away impressed.
He's a mobile quarterback who is excellent on bootlegs and RPO plays. He's a threat as a runner but also excels at extending plays and keeping his eyes downfield when outside the pocket.
He doesn't have a rocket arm but has shown the ability to make all throws with velocity. His accuracy has improved this season. He's hyper-competitive and will sometimes make mistakes while trying to play the hero.
The only worry about Wilson is the 3/4 arm slot he throws out of which puts tension on his shoulder.
Wilson is a good NFL prospect with the arm talent, athleticism, moxie and leadership ability to be a franchise quarterback and he'll be available in the middle of Round 1, where the 49ers are slated to pick as of this moment.
Perhaps the 49ers are just doing their due diligence. Or, perhaps they've targeted Wilson as the next future of the franchise. As Wilson continues to rocket up draft boards, he might eventually land outside the 49ers' reach. But if he's available when they go on the clock, it will be hard to turn him down.
Oh, and the last BYU QB to play for the 49ers turned out pretty well if I remember.
