NBC Sports Bay Area’s Donte Whitner and Takeo Spikes explain why the 49ers should do whatever it takes to trade up to select Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Justin Fields checks all the boxes.
First of all, he’s listed at 6-foot-3, 228 pounds. During his 20 games at Ohio State, he’s piled up 56 passing touchdowns and 15 rushing touchdowns while throwing just eight interceptions and completing 68.9 percent of his passes. He’s led the Buckeyes to a 19-1 record, the lone loss coming in last year’s College Football Playoff Semifinals against Clemson.
But will he be available when the 49ers have their number called on draft day?
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As it stands now, probably not. San Francisco is slotted to pick No. 14, and there’s virtually no chance a franchise talent like Fields is still on the board that deep in the draft. But NBC Sports Bay Area analyst Donte Whitner says that shouldn’t stop the 49ers’ pursuit of Fields.
“This guy is mature, he’s accurate and he has the ability to take this offense to the next level,” Whitner said. “If I’m the general manager of the 49ers, I’m moving up to take Justin Fields.”
But Whitner is not the GM of the Niners. That’d be John Lynch, who’s got some big decisions to make under center, starting with Jimmy Garoppolo.
Before we go any further, it should be noted that Whitner is also a proud (The) Ohio State alum who is justifiably juiced on Fields. So, fellow NBC Sports Bay Area analyst Takeo Spikes had to ask: Is Whitner willing to bet the farm to get Fields?
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“You gotta do what you gotta do,” Whitner said. “If you can put a guy like Justin Fields in a Kyle Shanahan offense, with all the misdirection, all of the shifts and motions, the easy throws and you just rely on him when it’s not there to escape the pocket and make something happen down the football field for us, he can do that.
“And he has the size, and the capability, and the tools to make it happen. Whatever they want, you get into that top 3 and get Justin Fields.”
Truth be told, anyone looking to lock up Fields might have to trade all the way up to the No. 2 pick. Most mock drafts have Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence as the No. 1 selection, before it turns into a guessing game of which signal-caller will be second. Will it be Fields? BYU’s Zach Wilson? North Dakota State’s Trey Lance? Alabama’s Mac Jones?
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Looking at the 49ers’ expected draft capital, it doesn’t appear the franchise has the cache to move up that high without sacrificing a future first-round pick. San Francisco is expected to have nine draft picks, which excludes a third-round pick but includes three fifth-round selections and two seventh-rounders.
This situation can go many different directions. The 49ers can save $24 million by trading or releasing Garoppolo this offseason. Trading up to get Fields would cost a fortune. The 49ers could hold out hope that a legit QB will fall into their lap in the middle of the first round, although that's unlikely.
We know what Whitner would do, but stay tuned to see how Lynch plays it this offseason.