Who will the San Francisco 49ers draft on Thursday with the No. 3 overall pick: Mac Jones or Trey Lance?
The franchise has been sending mixed signals, but Daniel Jeremiah is not buying it. As a draft expert for NFL Network, the former pro football scout said the 49ers are taking Jones. He said ‘the bread crumbs are taking him to Jones’ being drafted at No. 3.
“The bread crumbs are taking me to Mac Jones.”@MoveTheSticks has the @49ers selection at 3rd overall 👇
📺: NFL Mock Draft Live on NFL Network pic.twitter.com/ovUkvaXbfq
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) April 29, 2021
“This is all about fit for Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers,” Jeremiah said. “He values accuracy. He values processing over every other trait at the quarterback position, and those are the two hallmarks of Mac Jones’ game. His touch and timing are on schedule.”
Jeremiah compared Jones to Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons. Shanahan coached Ryan to a dominant season in 2016 as the Falcons’ offensive coordinator. Ryan won NFL’s Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player of the Year, and was named first-team All-Pro. He led the Falcons to the Super Bowl on the strength of 4,944 passing yards, 38 touchdowns, and a 117.1 passer rating.
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After placing Tua Tagovailoa in the top five, Nick Saban could have his second first-round quarterback.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.