5 bold predictions for San Francisco 49ers in 2021

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 05: Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers argues a pass interference call during the second quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Levi's Stadium on November 05, 2020 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

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MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – JANUARY 11: Mac Jones #10 of the Alabama Crimson Tide celebrates following the CFP National Championship Presented by AT&T at Hard Rock Stadium on January 11, 2021 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /

1. Mac Jones won’t be the starting quarterback

The prevailing wisdom in NFL circles at the moment is that San Francisco is going to nab Jones with the No. 3 overall pick. The franchise clearly is targeting a quarterback given the high price they paid to move up that far in the draft. It’s still not a certainty that Jones is the object of Shanahan’s affections.

Instead, look for Shanahan to ultimately decide to go with a higher upside player at No. 3. Justin Fields and Trey Lance are two signal-callers that possess more natural ability than Jones. They lack his polish as a thrower at the current point in time but drafting for polish that high in Round 1 is a mistake for smart franchises.

The mobility advantage that both Lance and Fields enjoy over Jones should ultimately tilt the scales in their favor. Shanahan probably has the coaching chops to turn Jones into a quality starter early in his NFL career, but he’ll struggle to ever become more than that due to his lack of athleticism.

Next. San Francisco 49ers full mock draft. dark

No matter what, Jimmy Garoppolo’s days as the franchise’s starter are almost definitely numbered. If the 49ers draft a quarterback at 3 then they do so with the intention to make him an immediate starter. The prediction here is just that Jones won’t be that pick.