The San Francisco 49ers have a lot of options at their disposal with the No. 2 pick in the 2017 NFL draft, and the past month has seen mock drafts focus on defense. Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky was a regular in January and February, but Solomon Thomas has taken over, with safeties Jamal Adams and Malik Hooker, and cornerback Marshon Lattimore all showing up as well.
SI’s Chris Burke is back with his latest mock draft and he decided to shake things back up again. He went with Trubisky to the 49ers, talking about how it is not entirely out of the question the 49ers could decide he can be their franchise quarterback. The team worked him out and brought him in for an official visit, so they’re certainly doing their due diligence.
Burke put a twist on this latest mock draft. Nobody can draft everybody they want in the first round, and so they have to consider their options later in the draft as well. If the 49ers decide to go with a defensive option, they will still need to consider a quarterback at some point. Burke included a mid-to-late-round replacement option for each pick. For the 49ers, he went with Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs.
It’s the escapability that puts Dobbs in the picture here. Like Trubisky, he has work to do with his technique as a passer, but he’s dangerous with the ball in his hands.
I’ve grown more and more intrigued by Dobbs as a day three prospect. Part of it is the fact that he is incredibly intelligent, with a critical attention to detail. He does need to add weight, and his consistency in accuracy is problematic, but as a day three pick, there is a lot to like.
The 49ers need to draft a quarterback. I’m a fan of drafting one fairly regularly, even if it’s just a late-round lottery ticket. The 49ers might decide none of the first round options can be what they want, but spending a day three pick on someone like Dobbs is the kind of lottery ticket I think is worth investing in with a coach like Kyle Shanahan.