Why the 49ers Have to Show Interest in Mac Jones

Who are the 49ers taking with the third pick?

The options are plentiful, but it seems like a handful of pundits are leaning toward Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, and believe Kyle Shanahan is actually intrigued and sees Jones as a fit. If that were to happen, 49ers fans would be livid and rightfully so. Right when the trade up to third occurred, I wrote about how taking Jones would be a gaff by the 49ers.

However, there is sound logic behind the interest the 49ers are showing with Jones regardless of it being real or not.

First off, the 49ers would not be doing their job if they did not do their homework on Jones. The only quarterback that I'm sure they are not digging deep on is Trevor Lawrence since the Jaguars are going to draft him. That means Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, Trey Lance, Jones and whoever else they are interested in is going to require study. It is just the nature of the business.

So in that sense, the 49ers are surely interested in Jones because they are reviewing him. Whether they are seriously considering him at No. 3 is a different story. I'm willing to bet that Shanahan and John Lynch are LOVING that the masses think Jones is a likely selection.

The 49ers never want the rest of the league to know what they can do. Despite what Shanahan mentioned about "covering his tracks" when it comes to scouting, he's still being cautious to a degree because he has to.

By making it seem like Jones is a strong prospect who can get drafted by them, they keep quarterback needy teams such as the Panthers confused. Carolina and other teams might end up believing that Jones at three is real, so then there will be no real reason to trade up to second.

I would not rule out that the Jets trade down or do not end up taking a quarterback. They still have Sam Darnold on their roster. I do not think it is as much of a guarantee that they are taking Wilson or a quarterback with the second pick as the masses make it out to be.

Of course, Darnold could always be traded on draft day, but the point is the 49ers have to play it careful here about the teams picking after them. It is just their standard to not make things predictable on their end because there are future drafts to worry about when it comes to keeping their poker face.

If they start getting sloppy now, then other teams will know there is a key sign to when they are putting on a farce or not. The 49ers are wise for keeping everyone on their toes.

It especially helps that leaks are not an issue as well.