The San Francisco 49ers are going to be doing something to address the quarterback position this offseason. I don’t know what the final result will be, but I think we can safely say they will be adding at least two quarterbacks through the draft, free agency, and/or via trade.
The team holds the No. 2 pick, and most mock drafts are projecting them to take a quarterback. UNC quarterback Mitch Trubisky has been the primary name mentioned, but we have also seen DeShaun Watson mentioned more frequently since his strong performance in the national title game.
Recently, NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah spoke with five random NFL executives, asking them where Watson would best fit. He did not say which teams the executives were part of, but none of the five mentioned their own team. Two of the five said the 49ers were the best fit. Here are their responses that went along with the 49ers.
Executive 1: "I'm a big fan of Kyle Shanahan. He would work to feature Watson's strengths and ease him into the role."
Executive 2: "I'd say San Francisco with Shanahan. Kyle is innovative within his scheme and he would build the offense around Watson's skill set. More importantly, Kyle's offense is predicated on the run, which won't put too much pressure on a young QB. I think it's a little bit of a reach to take him at No. 2, but I like the fit."
Of the remaining three executives, they split between the Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texans, and Arizona Cardinals. Our friends at Arrowhead Pride find themselves discussing the quarterback position more and more. Meanwhile, the Houston Texans struck out with Brock Osweiler, and Battle Red Blog is pondering cap issues with him. And of course, Revenge of the Birds is dealing with whether or not Carson Palmer will be back in 2017.
This year’s quarterback class does not have the clear standout that we have seen in other years. And yet, we are still likely to see at least two quarterbacks go in the first round. There have been reports of scouts giving Watson a second or third round grade, and people will tear down Trubisky and others throughout the pre-draft process. And yet, we will still see QBs going in the first round. It might max out at Trubisky and Watson, but maybe we see DeShone Kizer or Pat Mahomes added to the mix. You never know what will happen when teams get crazy about quarterbacks.