Most Accurate 2021 49ers Mock Draft in Existence
After having spent hours upon hours breaking down tape, examining film and spending late nights by myself in the darkness of my parent’s basement, I’m ready to give my picks for who the 49ers will select in the upcoming draft.
Round 1, Pick No. 3: We all generally agree that the 49ers have to pick their quarterback of the future here and the choice should boil down to the trio of Justin Fields, Trey Lance and Mac Jones (assuming that Zach Wilson goes No. 2 to the Jets). If you spend any amount of time on 49ers Twitter, but are also completely oblivious to the sport of football itself, you would assume that Justin Fields has already won the 49ers three championships and several MVP trophies along the way.
On the opposite end, aside from suggesting that the 49ers should pursue Kirk Cousins to be their starting quarterback, Mac Jones brings out some of the most visceral reactions I’ve ever seen from a fan base. So putting all analysis and intelligence aside, I just can’t pass on the chance to see a complete meltdown from the 49ers fan base when good old Roger Goodell goes up onto the stage and announces Mac Jones at No. 3. Let the meltdown commence.
Round 2, Pick No. 43: Camp competition is always a healthy way to get the most out of your players. In some cases, the guy you bring in to compete actually performs better than the person ahead of him on the roster. That’s why I have the 49ers going with their second consecutive quarterback and Kellen Mond here in Round 2. Mond will create that camp competition with Mac Jones and best case scenario, if he performs well enough, opens the door for the 49ers to actually release Jones. Seeing how much 49ers fans already hate Mac Jones, this really would end up being a win-win scenario.
Round 2, Pick No. 44: After selecting Mond, the 49ers will probably feel immediately anxious about how Mac Jones will perceive the competition, so I believe that they will trade up to get the very next pick in Round 2 to announce Mac Jones’ name again. A symbolic and courageous gesture, this is the kind of support that only the 49ers would be willing to give the quarterback they truly believe in.
Round 3, Pick No. 102: I subscribe to the general rule of thumb that punters are one of the most underrated assets on the field as they can easily gain 45-plus yards of field advantage on just a single play. Name me another position that can post that type of godly yardage per play. I think the 49ers recognize that next-level type of thinking here and commit to taking Max Duffy, punter from Kentucky with their third-round pick. Best of all, if Duffy and Mitch Wishnowsky both perform well during camp, the 49ers can now stash two punters on their roster who can take turns rotating in-and-out during the game, lessening the chance of late season fatigue for either player.
Round 4, Pick No. 117: I’m hoping that this is the season that the 49ers finally address their biggest need by selecting a preventive care medical professional. That’s why I’m going with Dr. James Bradley from the Burke and Bradley Orthopedics Group at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Round 4.
Round 5, Pick No. 172: After feeling a little uneasy about the first two quarterbacks selected in this year’s draft by the 49ers, I have Kyle Shanahan selecting himself to play the QB position should both Mac Jones and Kellen Mond not live up to his lofty expectations. As a bonus, Kyle did also play the wide receiver position in college, so he could also attempt to throw himself the ball should his current wide receivers not perform to his standard either.
Round 5, Pick No. 180: I’m big on innovative thinking when it comes to the draft and that’s why I’m going with former 49er and current free agent Trent Taylor with the pick here. How many teams have been bold enough to attempt drafting an existing NFL free agent? The NFL hasn’t seen this type of unconventional strategy since Trent Baalke drafted every collegiate player with a torn ACL in the world. Test the waters on what happens with selecting Trent Taylor, see what the reaction is, and if all goes well, implement free agent drafting into next offseason’s plan, too.
Round 6, Pick No. 193 & Round 7, Pick No. 229: For Rounds 6 and 7, I have the 49ers foregoing participation to instead grab an early dinner. They worked hard, gave it their all, and high fives are deserved all around. Let the rest of the teams in the league scavenge over the remains like the vultures they are. You guys killed. What an offseason. What a draft. Rounds 6 and 7, who needs them?
Undrafted free agency: Bonus pick! Undrafted free agency, don’t think I forgot about you. After dinner concludes and after Adam Peters and John Lynch have gone home to spend time with their families, I think they’re going to be hungry for one more pick. Who else can they get at this point? Keeping with the innovative free agency strategy that we saw with the Trent Taylor selection earlier in this draft, I would take a flier on Marcus Lattimore during the undrafted free agency portion of the process. I think that this is the season that it all comes together for Marcus and he finally breaks out to become the 49ers lead back. End of draft. A-plus, guys. You killed it.
