Perception of Kyle Shanahan Will Change if 49ers Draft Mac Jones
Kyle Shanahan is regarded as an offensive mastermind.
The 49ers will always be in a prime position with him leading the way as the head coach for the franchise.
However, every great coach has a weakness. The one glaring weakness of Shanahan's is his personnel decision making. Now, of course, every coach has their misses and misuses. But for a guy like Shanahan, his misses and misuses derive from bias. That is why you hear of "Shanahan's doghouse" being tossed around since he arrived.
Shanahan is about to make the most impactful decision of his career when the NFL Draft rolls around. Trading, technically, three first-round picks and some change to move from 12 to 3 is Shanahan putting all the chips on the table. Such a move has not been seen in the history of the 49ers, so this is a move Shanahan needs to get right because a lot is at stake here.
That includes the perception of Shanahan. Justin Fields, Zach Wilson, and Trey Lance may seem like the most logical player to take for the 49ers, but you cannot rule out Mac Jones as the player taken at No. 3.
If that happens, perception of Shanahan will change.
For starters, there is already the perception out there that Shanahan loves the "Kirk Cousins" type quarterback. Drafting Jones will only reinforce that, but there is more to be revealed about Shanahan should Jones end up being selected. By taking Jones, Shanahan is exuding an aura of arrogance. He thinks that he does not need the best prospect to win because he is the one who can do it all.
Jones is NOT the best quarterback in the draft. At least, he is not the better quarterback long-term. In other words, his ceiling is not great. Taking Jones just to have a little bit more improved Jimmy Garoppolo after what they gave up to move to No. 3 is insanity.
Personally, I see no way Shanahan takes Jones, but I am also not blind to the possibility of it. There is a small chance it can happen because Shanahan could truly believe he does not need the mobile-off-script quarterback. Plus, he would seem contradictory to not want that type since Shanahan himself mentioned that style of quarterback are largely top 10 in the league.
Drafting Jones will certainly change the way fans and pundits view Shanahan. It can even lead to his downfall down the line as head coach if it doesn't lead to a Super Bowl victory. The pressure certainly rises exponentially if he takes Jones over Fields or Lance.
Maybe that is exactly what he wants.
