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Zach Wilson Says He'd Like to Play for the 49ers

Here's what the reporter asked him, followed by Wilson's answer:
Grant Cohn|
Zach Wilson Says He'd Like to Play for the 49ers
Zach Wilson Says He'd Like to Play for the 49ers

A couple months ago, it seemed the 49ers might have an opportunity to draft BYU quarterback Zach Wilson.

But now the 49ers own the 12th pick in the 2021 draft, and most draft experts expect Wilson to go top five, if not top two. So the 49ers can fuhgettabout Wilson, right?

Not so fast.

Wilson went on television this week and said he'd like to play for the 49ers.

Here's what the reporter asked him, followed by Wilson's answer:

Q: When you look at the different options that have been thrown out there, and there a lot of people talking about potential landing spots, what do you feel like is a system that is the right fit for you? You don't have to give me a specific team name, but maybe a scheme that you feel you would fit best into.

WILSON: "Yeah, I haven't watched a ton of specifics with NFL teams as far as what offenses they run. One just off the top of my head is the 49ers, because I'm very familiar with what Kyle Shanahan does and the system that they have in place, and I think I'd fit in well there."

It almost seems like Wilson is telling the New York Jets, who own the No. 2 pick, and all the other bad teams that pick high not to take him. I could be wrong, but that's how I read his quote. Because if I were Wilson, I wouldn't want to play for the Jets, either. If Sam Darnold failed there, why would Wilson succeed?

But what's the connection between Wilson and Shanahan? Why would Wilson name the 49ers of all teams?

Consider that Wilson's  personal trainer and quarterback guru is former BYU and NFL quarterback John Beck. And Beck played for Shanahan in 2011 when Shanahan was Washington's offensive coordinator. Beck started three games that season -- one against the 49ers.

So that's the connection between Wilson and Shanahan. 

I'm guessing Shanahan would love Wilson to fall to the 12th pick. And maybe he will, if he keeps saying how much he wants to join the 49ers.

Published
Grant Cohn
GRANT COHN

Grant Cohn has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily since 2011. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat where he wrote the Inside the 49ers blog and covered famous coaches and athletes such as Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Willis. In 2012, Inside the 49ers won Sports Blog of the Year from the Peninsula Press Club. In 2020, Cohn joined FanNation and began writing All49ers. In addition, he created a YouTube channel which has become the go-to place on YouTube to consume 49ers content. Cohn's channel typically generates roughly 3.5 million viewers per month, while the 49ers' official YouTube channel generates roughly 1.5 million viewers per month. Cohn live streams almost every day and posts videos hourly during the football season. Cohn is committed to asking the questions that 49ers fans want answered, and providing the most honest and interactive coverage in the country. His loyalty is to the reader and the viewer, not the team or any player or coach. Cohn is a new-age multimedia journalist with an old-school mentality, because his father is Lowell Cohn, the legendary sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1979 to 1993. The two have a live podcast every Tuesday. Grant Cohn grew up in Oakland and studied English Literature at UCLA from 2006 to 2010. He currently lives in Oakland with his wife.

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