Could the San Francisco 49ers Select Alabama QB Mac Jones at No. 3 in the 2021 NFL Draft?
Per multiple outlets, speculation is growing around the NFL that the San Francisco 49ers could select former University of Alabama quarterback Mac Jones with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.
Originally, the 49ers were slated to draft at No. 12 but moved up to No. 3 after trading with the Miami Dolphins last week.
Adding fuel to the fire that Jones could be San Francisco's guy is that general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan will be in attendance for Jones' second Pro Day in Tuscaloosa on Tuesday instead of Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields', who is throwing on the same day.
Jones threw around 50 passes in his first Pro Day last Tuesday and ran 40-yard dashes of 4.68 and 4.72, while measuring in at 6-foot-2 and 217 pounds. He also posted a 32-inch vertical jump.
When speaking with the media on Monday afternoon, Jones called the 49ers' offense a "super-friendly quarterback offense" and compared it to what he ran under former assistant and now Texas coach Steve Sarkisian with the Crimson Tide.
"I've watched a lot of their tape," Jones said. "The 49ers run a lot of wide zone. They also have a great fullback so they can run power. They do a bunch of good play-pass off of that. Outside zone, sprint-out stuff. Their drop-back passing is very similar to what we did with Coach Sark, with some of their motions they use... That's all stuff I'm really familiar with. They have a lot of playmakers and I'm really looking forward to learning more about that."
In a loaded quarterback draft class, Jones says the mental part of the game is what separates him from other top-tier prospects.
"What separates me is my preparation and my ability to take what I learn from the coaches' meetings and my own meetings and apply it to the field," Jones said. "I'm going to do exactly what the coach tells me to do. I'm going to play within the framework of the offense. At Alabama, I did whatever Coach Sark wanted me to do. If any team wants me to do something else, I will do that. I'm willing to do whatever."
Jones will have tight ends Miller Forristall and Carl Tucker Jr. to throw to on Tuesday, along with some Crimson Tide underclassmen like wide receivers Slade Bolden and Xavier Williams.
DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle are still unsure if they will run routes. According to Jones, they are still "deciding."
"It's really good to hear that the 49ers will be there," Jones said. "I tried to show just different stuff on the first Pro Day. All they wanna see is how your feet move and how the ball comes out and how you interact with your teammates so I feel like I did that well. This next Pro Day, there is going to be some deep shots and things like that. I just want to show teams a little bit of everything."
