Who Will the 49ers Draft with the No. 3 Pick?

Let's get real.

The 49ers didn't trade their next three first-round picks plus a third-rounder in 2022 just to move up nine spots for an offensive tackle or a cornerback.

No, the 49ers must have traded up for the No. 3 pick to take a quarterback. Which means there's only a few things they can do next.

Here are their options:

Option 1: Draft Justin Fields with the No. 3 pick.

Fields is a dual-threat quarterback who scored 78 touchdowns in 22 starts at Ohio State. He certainly is the most talented quarterback Ohio State has produced in a long time.

But Ohio State does a poor job developing quarterbacks. And like the rest of the Ohio State quarterbacks before Fields, he seems remedial in the mental part of the game, and he's not a natural thrower. He has a long, floppy, whippy release, which leads him to miss short, easy throws.

Fields needs to work on his mechanics, and Kyle Shanahan doesn't seem like the kind of coach who has patience for a project. He often has said he wants natural throwers, not ones who need lots of work with mechanics gurus.

I doubt the 49ers traded up for Fields.

Option 2: Draft Trey Lance with the No. 3 pick.

Lance is a dual-threat quarterback who scored 46 touchdowns and threw zero interceptions at North Dakota State, which is the top program in 1-AA college football. North Dakota State runs a pro-style offense, meaning Lance has experience lining up under center, turning his back to his defense during play-action passes and throwing while rolling to his right and his left. He fits Shanahan's offense.

But Lance played just one game in 2020, and attempted only 288 throws in his college career. He's an unknown. He could be a total mirage, one of the biggest busts ever. Or he could be terrific.

I doubt the 49ers traded up for such a boom-or-bust prospect.

Option 3: Draft Mac Jones with the No. 3 pick.

Jones is a pocket quarterback who threw 56 touchdowns and completed 74.3 percent of his passes at Alabama. He's similar to Matt Ryan, who was the No. 3 pick in the 2007 draft. Kyle Shanahan had his best season as coordinator while coaching Ryan in 2016. Perhaps Shanahan believes he can create a similar offense with Jones, who's a much better downfield passer than Jimmy Garoppolo.

If the 49ers keep the No. 3 pick, I believe they'll take Jones.

Option 4: Trade up to the No. 2 pick for Zach Wilson.

It's possible Wilson has been the 49ers' target all along.

But Wilson almost certainly will go No. 2, and the Jets own that pick. Maybe the 49ers first tried to trade up with the Jets, but they didn't want to swap picks with the 49ers and move down all the way to No. 12. So maybe then the 49ers called the Dolphins and traded up to No. 3.

Now, the 49ers could offer the No. 3 pick plus their second-rounder to the Jets, who may not even want a quarterback -- they still have Sam Darnold, whom they drafted just a few years ago.

So the Jets could move down one spot and still take whichever non-quarterback they want. And the 49ers could move up one spot and get Wilson, who makes throwing on the run seem effortless.

Don't rule out a trade up for Wilson.

The 49ers could have one more blockbust trade up their sleeve.