The NFL Network concluded their Top 100 Players on Monday evening and that means now we can disect the list and talk about the rankings. One of the earlier rankings was San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo coming in at 90. The voting is quite nebulous and it ends with the results being more of a popularity contest than anything else. If someone wanted Garoppolo off that list, they could make a good argument for it given that he’s only started five games—but he sells merchandise so that could be the sole reason he made it—we don’t know.
Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey discussed the final list on NFL Network and was also vocal of Garoppolo making the list, but he went a bit further with his own view on the lack of starts:
What he play, five games? He has good potential. I think he’ll be a good player but, my experience playing him, it was a lot of scheme stuff. It wasn’t like he was just dicing us up.
Garoppolo threw two passing touchdowns and added a rushing touchdown via quarterback sneak en route to the 49ers hanging 44 points on the team with one of the best defenses from 2017. One of those touchdowns was on their opening drive (a first against Jacksonville’s defense) and another one was this improvisational gem.
Scheme definitely was a part of the win, along with Blake Bortles throwing a pick-six among other things, but Garoppolo was forced out of the pocket several times and had to improvise his throws, one of which resulted in a Trent Taylor touchdown.
Kurt Warner made a point that when teams get film on a player, that’s when things really get interesting. I share the sentiment, but the Jaguars faced the 49ers so late in the year and had three games of Garoppolo game tape (a good introduction to finding bad habits and exposing him). Let’s not forget the script didn’t change much from Brian Hoyer to C.J. Beathard to Jimmy Garoppolo as it maybe grew more simplified due to Garoppolo’s inexperience.
Jimmy Garoppolo will get his chance to show the NFL he’s as good as 49ers fans hope he can be once the season gets rolling.