3 players the San Francisco 49ers should draft instead of Mac Jones

Just as it seemed the 49ers might also consider Fields at No. 3, there’s been recent noise trying to tie him to past Ohio State quarterbacks who didn’t pan out in the NFL and questioning his work ethic. Those people forget how out front he was in campaigning for the Big Ten to play last season, with nothing but risk for his own draft stock if he played. And how he played with what appeared to be broken ribs against Clemson in the College Football Playoff.

The pre-draft smokescreens, as a team or two that’s out of the top-10 without a path to trade up surely wants him to fall to them, have enveloped Fields right now.

Fields is big (6-foot-3, 227 pounds) and fast (4.4 40 at his pro day), with production as a runner (15 rushing scores over the last two seasons). But he can also throw the ball, with a 68 percent completion rate and a 63:9 touchdown-to-interception ratio over his two seasons at Ohio State.

Shanahan’s offense has coaxed good play out of all types of quarterbacks, but he’s never had an elite all-around talent (rookie year RGIII does not qualify). Fields presents that possibility, and all kinds of options for the 49ers to open up the playbook. A quarterback who’s a serious threat with his legs and can also burn you with on-point throws will put defenses in quite a pickle.

The bottom line is upside for the 49ers at No. 3. There’s no arguing Fields has far more upside than Jones.