The San Francisco 49ers have been repeatedly linked to North Carolina quarterback Mitch Tribusky this offseason. I updated our 2017 NFL mock draft database yesterday, and Trubisky was listed in 14 of the mock drafts. The 49ers need a quarterback, Mitch Trubisky is getting a lot of love as the best option in the draft, so it is not surprising people connect the 49ers to him at No. 2.
On Monday, SB Nation’s Dan Kadar put together his latest mock draft, and he discussed a notable flaw in the player at each pick. The NFL Combine gets started on Tuesday, and that means teams will be picking apart all the prospects, from their height and medical history, to their 40-time and how they handle position drills.
Kadar has the 49ers selecting Trubisky, and he points to the UNC quarterback’s lack of experience as the big question mark.
Every team that needs a quarterback this year will likely be talking with Trubisky. The first thing each will probably ask is why he didn’t start until his junior season. How Trubisky answers will be scrutinized heavily.
If you are a playoff team at the end of the first round, or virtually any pick after the first round, and I think most would be comfortable taking Trubisky. He is inexperienced, but showed a lot in his one season of starting. But when you’re talking about the No. 2 pick in the draft on a team that is likely beginning an overhaul of a significant portion of the roster, it is easy to question it a bit more.
Kadar has Texas A&M pass rusher Myles Garrett going No. 1 to the Cleveland Browns. Garrett to the Browns is a consensus pick, but even the top pick in a draft will get picked apart at the Combine and in subsequent workouts and interviews.
While in Indianapolis, Garrett will get asked extensively about an ankle injury that appeared to hamper him much of the season. If the Browns determine his lackluster play at times in 2016 was an effort issue, and not due to injury, it could create the slightest opportunity for someone like Alabama’s Jonathan Allen to jump into the pick.
I doubt we see Garrett slip out of the No. 1 pick, but I suppose anything can happen.