The San Francisco 49ers have been frequently connected to Jared Goff and Carson Wentz throughout the pre-draft process. Colin Kaepernick is being shopped to the Denver Broncos, Blaine Gabbert is entering the final year of his contract, and there is not a whole lot beyond that. It is logical to think the 49ers will look at quarterback.
Dan Kadar put together a new mock draft on Monday, and he sticks with the quarterback position for the 49ers. After sending Jared Goff to the Cleveland Browns, he has the 49ers selecting Carson Wentz. Here is what he had to say about the pick.
Forget whatever is happening with the never-ending Colin Kaepernick disaster. It has no bearing on this pick. I think this pick will be whichever of Goff or Wentz is available. The intrigue will be if a team trades in front of the 49ers and neither is available.
The top of the draft is pretty similar, with Laremy Tunsil, Jalen Ramsey, Joey Bosa, Myles Jack, and DeForest Buckner taking up the rest of the first seven picks. Most mock drafts are including some combination of those seven players in the top seven. Ronnie Stanley is occasionally working into the top six, with Ezekiel Elliott, Shaq Lawson, and Vernon Hargreaves others in the mix to some degree.
I don't see the 49ers going quarterback for a couple reasons. The first is that I think they are inclined to go for more of an impact player at No. 1. I think the 49ers are going to build out their front seven and offensive line in this draft, and draft a quarterback later in the week.
However, the second reason I don't see a quarterback happening is that I think we see a team move ahead of them, into the top five or six to draft one of the quarterbacks. There are questions about both Goff and Wentz, but I just have this feeling both will be gone when the 49ers are picking at No. 7. That would bode well for the 49ers, as a talented defensive option would slip to them at No. 7. And even if they are not inclined to draft one of those options, it potentially adds value to a trade-down of their own.