The 49ers’ hopes that something strange would happen before them in this year’s draft were dashed on Monday, when the Jets left quarterback Sam Darnold for the Carolina Panthers.
Darnold’s departure from New York leaves the Jets without a start signal caller and cement what has been speculated all along – they are recruiting a quarterback.
This was probably the case even if Darnold stayed, but his presence left some room for mischief in the second choice. Maybe a team surprised the Jets with an offer to get ahead of the 49ers, or maybe they could cast a non-quarterback to try to improve the squad around Darnold. This scenario was unlikely, but they were on the table while Darnold was around.
Instead, New York chose to leave no doubt. They sent Darnold to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a trio of draft choices. They will choose a quarterback after the Jaguars select Trevor Lawrence, and the 49ers will have a choice of three quarterbacks.
There is still some uncertainty at number 2, although this may throw a screwdriver at the top of the project. BYU QB Zach Wilson is widely expected to reach second place overall. If the Jets pass through it, there may be some chaos at No. 3 or later. Although most of the uncertainty has disappeared, there is only enough left that the second choice still comes with some intrigue for the 49ers.