Why the 49ers Probably Won't Draft a Quarterback With the 12th Pick
The NFL draft is a little less than three months away.
And for the San Francisco 49ers, that is their prime opportunity to bring in a quarterback. Unless you have been living under a rock, quarterback has been the most controversial debate going around these days. That is mainly due to Jimmy Garoppolo's failure to sustain his health.
A quarterback being drafting in the first round for the 49ers would appear to be their best chance to pull the trigger. However, I have some doubts that the 49ers will draft a quarterback with their 12th pick. In fact, it won't probably won't happen.
There is only one way I could see them leveraging that pick to draft one, and that is only if Justin Fields somehow falls around the 8th pick to tempt the 49ers to trade up. Other than that, I do not envision them taking one. Drafting a quarterback is the most likely scenario that the 49ers end up adding to the position. But that does not mean they will use such a weighted pick on one, especially in a asterisk year.
The 49ers are likely going to draft another defensive lineman like they always do. If not, I could see them finally spending a high draft pick on a cornerback because they desperately need a cornerstone-cost-controlled player at the position.
Maybe I'm wrong.
Maybe the 49ers are fed up with average quarterback play. Maybe they are fed up with an inactive quarterback and they finally pull the trigger with their 12th pick to setup their future.
But the reality is there really isn't pressure for Kyle Shanahan to do so. If 2021 goes wrong again with Jimmy Garoppolo, then guess who becomes the scapegoat? Garoppolo. Shanahan just signed an extension last offseason, so he has a ton of leeway to continue to build the roster and then add his quarterback. It is not like Shanahan has ever indicated he's an impatient guy when it comes to roster building.
Drafting a quarterback with the 12th pick seems less than likely than not. Of course, it is still early February. A lot can change in the next three months, especially with free agency still to play out.
Just don't be surprised if quarterback doesn't get addressed until after the first-round.
