ESPN analyst Todd McShay has a player in mind who believes he is the 49ers’ ideal choice with the third overall choice.
McShay said his heart says the 49ers, looking for a young defender to eventually take over from Jimmy Garoppolo, must slide to the right in North Dakota’s Trey Lance.
“I think Trey Lance would be a perfect fit,” McShay said on Monday in a conference call with national reporters.
“He’s great in terms of game and action, and San Francisco is fourth in the league in game and action games last year. This is what Kyle Shanahan wants to do and that is a big part of his offense. “
However, when McShay released his latest simulation draft after the 49ers negotiated with the Miami Dolphins, he did not join the 49ers with Lance.
“I thought Lance would be a better option for San Fran, but the intelligence was different,” he said.
Therefore, based on the information he received from NFL sources, McShay designs the 49ers by selecting Alabama quarterback Mac Jones in third overall.
“Now, he’s not as mobile as Trevor Lawrence or Zach Wilson or Trey Lance or Justin Fields. And that’s a hit, ”said McShay of Jones. “He has a solid arm, but he doesn’t have the arm strength that those other four guys have.
“So, physically he is not bringing to the table what you would get from those other four quarterbacks. But mentally, and from the point of view of precision, he is as good as any quarterback in this class.”
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Although McShay may not believe that Jones is the best option for the 49ers, he has little doubt that the 49ers is the organization that can get the most out of Jones.
“If he ends up in San Francisco, I think it’s the perfect place for him,” said McShay. “He has one of the best offensive minds in the game, in Kyle Shanahan, to help develop it quickly.”
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